It’s officially the start of March Madness and with games tipping off, people are busy placing bets on their lucky teams.
At Mohegan Sun’s FanDuel Sportsbook, Thursday and Friday are their busiest of the year.
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“This year is definitely going to be bigger than the Super Bowl. So, I think people are realizing now, I don’t have to fly to Vegas to get this experience,” Brad Bryant, general manager of the Sportsbook, said. “It’s opening it up to so many more people, because this is a legal way to do it.”
On Wednesday, people stopped in to place bets on teams in the NCAA Tournament.
“I just like it because it gives you interest in games you might not normally have interest in,” Leo Leonard, of Canton, said. “It’s mostly minimum bets, nothing crazy, that’s why I do longshots so I can hopefully find lightening in a bottle.”
The Leonards make it a yearly tradition. Since the 1980s, they’ve taken days off to watch the games, and now they bet on them.
“We’re actually staying here for three nights because we’ll be wagering on the tournament and then watching the tournament,” Lou Leonard said. “We’ll be doing all kinds of parlays and championship bets, everything I can get my hands on.”
“It just makes it more fun,” Molly Leonard said.
“Throw a couple bucks on it,” Lou continued. “Now you’re passionate!”
But one of the biggest weeks in sports betting can be triggering to those who struggle with gambling addictions.
Organizations like the Connecticut Council on Problem Gaming are warning people to bet safely.
“It’s the frequency now in the apps with the different prop bets. As you can kind of bet repetitively throughout the course of the game. It’s important to kind of take time to set some type of limit and not get yourself caught up or trying to chase losses that are going to kind of get you in trouble,” Paul Tarbox said.
“When it’s come to the point where you’re spending money that’s supposed to be spent on…your bills or you’re spending time away from friends and family because you’re checking sporting lines and consistently on apps… if it’s affecting your mood or your job, your relationships, that’s when it’s becoming a bit of an issue,” he continued.
Last week, Senator Richard Blumenthal reintroduced the Safe Act in Congress. It would create consumer protections and standards for the mobile sports betting industry.
If you or a loved one needs help when it comes to gambling, the Council on Problem Gambling has a hotline at 888-789-7777 or you can visit CCPG.org.
