ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Millions will tune into the Super Bowl this Sunday and many of them will log into sites like FanDuel and DraftKings to place bets on the game. 

For some people, betting on the Super Bowl isn’t an issue, but experts say it’s a slippery slope to becoming a problem. 

What You Need To Know

  • Nearly $58 billion in bets have been placed in the three years New York legalized mobile sports betting, according to the New York State Gaming Commission

  • Experts seeing an increase in gambling addictions 

  • If gambling is causing you or a loved one any harm, call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY

Between online ads and commercials, it sometimes feels like you can’t escape sports betting. Katie Mibaum works with the Finger Lakes Problem Gambling Resource Center. Since sports betting became legal in New York state, she’s seen an increase in people reaching out for help with a gambling addiction. Mibaum says she's seeing more younger men coming in with sports betting problems. 

"Their brains are not being fully developed yet until the age of 25 [as] the prefrontal cortex isn't fully developed," said Mibaum. "They are at a higher risk of developing a problem gambling with gambling. So we work diligently to try to focus on that demographic, specifically with the mobile sports betting."

It’s often called the hidden addiction, but Mibaum says there are some signs to watch out for. 

“If someone was becoming very, separated from their family and friends, they're isolating themselves," said Mibaum. "Or the inverse. In conversations, it's just completely preoccupied with discussions of what they did at the casino last weekend or hitting their numbers.”

Mibaum adds that if gambling is causing you or a loved one any harm, call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY and a trained professional will be there to help.