PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Sports betting has surged in recent years.
And critics say it has led to a public health crisis of gambling addiction.
They say, it largely affects young men but there are concerns that today’s youth are also finding ways to wage bets.
Critics of the gambling industry said there are two factors fueling a surge in gambling addiction.
First is easy access to online sports betting on phones and the other is the proliferation of in-game betting which is a form of live betting while a game is underway.
“So, I started when I was 16,” said Bryan Biehl who described his gambling problem.
Biehl said at the height of his addiction in his early twenties, he’d place online sports bets from wake-up to bedtime.
“Probably about $40,000…