For sports fans, the month of March brings excitement with the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments. It also brings into focus sports gambling.
Experts use the month of March to highlight problem gambling and highlight resources that are available for those who may be struggling.
In the past, people traveled to big casinos or even neighboring states to place bets and gamble. Now, thanks to betting apps, many are able to make those wagers from the comfort of their home.
"Well in March of 2024, the [Colorado Division of Gaming] saw a little over $100 million placed online and a little over $1.1 million placed in our retail establishments when it comes to NCAA basketball for the month of March," said Christopher Schroder, director of the Colorado Division of Gaming.
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Amid the March Madness, Schroder hopes to make people aware of the different resources available to those who feel like they may have a gambling problem. One option in Colorado is the self-exclusion list, which allows people to sign up to be excluded from all forms of regulated gaming, including those located in retail locations.
"As of February 2025, the Division of Gaming had over 430 Coloradans sign up for our self-exclusion process," said Schroder. "That doesn't include the numbers that we inherited from the Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado, as they had a list that they maintained prior to the division taking that over."
Coloradans can also visit Bet Smart Colorado to find different support groups and grants available.
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Amanda Quintana, player health manager with Colorado Lottery, said problem gambling impacts people of all age demographics and can come in different forms.
"So really like all forms of gambling, lottery is included in that, and there's just general risk associated with gambling," said Quintana. "So any time somebody may be... just not having fun with they're gambling, if they're feeling the need to play more and more, they're having a hard time setting and sticking to limits, those are just signs that maybe they're having difficulty with their gambling play."
In honor of National Problem Gambling Awareness Month, a message on the Colorado Lottery vending machines is urging people to seek help if needed. Quintana said it's important to be aware and open with yourself or loved ones who may be struggling.
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"I think oftentimes, problem gambling is referred to as an addiction because it usually happens kind of in the dark," said Quintana. "We don't always talk about it. It's not something that we really hear about all the time. And so, I think March gives us a really great avenue to really share this message so that we can shine a light on the addiction but also really looking and see if we can intervene a little early because I think sometimes people don't think about it until we have bigger and bigger problems."
For more information on available resources for problem gambling in your state, visit the National Council on Problem Gambling website here.
This story was originally published by Maggy Wolanske with the Scripps News Group.
