PENNSYLVANIA, USA — In 2023, sports betting advertisements seem impossible to escape.
"You can't turn on the television without seeing it," said Loretta Vasso, a gambling counselor at Alliance Counseling Services.
The advertisements are everywhere, appearing online, on TV, on the radio and on the road.
"I don't know that anybody was really truly ready," said Josh Ercole, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania
Before online sports wagering, Ercole said, it wasn't like this.
"Somebody working at an Erie casino wasn't concerned with someone who lives in Philadelphia, walking into a Philadelphia casino," he said. "Once the online options open up, now that's very different."
With a new form of gambling, came a new base of potential customers spread across the state who may prefer to pick up their phone instead of driving to a casino.
"The highest propensity would be in that younger demographic, so I'm sure that that's part of marketing strategies," Ercole said.
A growing number of young adults are betting online, attracted to the action available at their fingertips.
Vasso said she's seen a change in mentality.
"The right of passage now for 21-year-olds is not so much, 'I'm going to go to a bar and I'm going to have my first drink,' it's, 'I'm going to go online and I'm going to make my first bet,'" she said.
Kevin Kile is the director of sports wagering operations for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, overseeing play statewide.
"I think the younger demographic just likes the excitement of the games themselves, as opposed to sitting at a slot machine and playing in that manner," Kile said. "I think that we're going to see a gradual reduction in the number of advertisements on the media, in a similar manner we saw with fantasy sports about 10 or 15 years ago."
For now, the ads are here to stay and could be affecting the way young adults and teenagers view betting.
"When you have folks who are not necessarily recognizing it, whether it be because they're not old enough to recognize it, they're not aware that this is an activity with risk, that's where it's really concerning," Ercole said.
Internationally Certified Gambling Counselor and CEO of the Better Institute Jody Bechtold agrees.
"The brain isn't even fully developed until the age of 25 and the last part of the brain to develop is the prefrontal cortex, which is judgment and impulsivity in decision making," said Bechtold. "You think about a 16 or 17 year olds, there's a vulnerability in really being able to slow down."
Many young men have been drawn in by big introductory offers promising 'risk-free bets,' but the experts we spoke to said there's no such thing.
"The limited research that is out now is showing that even 18 to 24, tends to be male, sports betting and is identifying that of that group, more individuals are becoming gambling addicted or having a lot more consequences related to that," Bechtold said.
The fast-paced highs of sports betting can leave these young adults wanting more. Over time, it can get harder for them to feel pleasure, meaning only big risks bring a thrill.
"Once your brain starts to respond in that way, where you get a big dopamine dump, even at the anticipation phase of gambling, your brain will always respond that way," Vasso said.
Experts said some don't stop betting until they're completely out of money or out of places to go for more, adding to the anxiety and depression many experience.
"Research has definitely shown that when people experience severe financial debt due to gambling, they're at greater risk for considering suicide," Bechtold said.
State tallies show calls to the gambling helpline have more than doubled in the last two years. There's been a sharp drop in the average age of callers.
"Now, what we're seeing is the highest propensity of calls, by a lot, are coming in from the 18-34 range," Ercole said.
In December of 2022, 28% of calls came from people between 25 and 34 years old, the largest total of any age group, 18% came from ages 35 to 44.
Ercole said more people have been reaching out for help through text and chat options.
FOX43 asked the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board about its review process for sports betting advertisements.
Kile said the agency has an audit team that reviews each ad and could fine companies that don't meet regulations, such as failing to mention of the gambling helpline.
The audit team doesn't review material before it's seen by the public. Kile cited the high volume of advertisements as a reason why.
"We have specific requirements that have to be included in the terms and conditions of promotions, and our goal is to make sure that all promotions are not false and misleading or deceptive," Kile said.
"Adding 'call 1-800-GAMBLER' at the end is good, but they put it all in a positive way," Vasso added. "That's advertising."
Ercole is encouraging more companies to change the language in their ads to better reflect the reality that gamers can win big or lose big.
"This is an activity, yes, most people aren't going to develop a problem, but some will," he said.
In our conversations with these experts, FOX43 was alerted to a potential hole in a state program for those struggling with compulsive gambling that could lead to more problems for those in recovery. Tune in Sunday, Feb. 19 at 10 p.m. for the full story.
For 24/7 gambling help in Pennsylvania, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.