With the proliferation of sports gaming coming to Louisiana during a pandemic surge the combination is ripe for gaming addiction to give rise.
With Omicron spreading like wildfire, stresses have people feeling under the thumb.
For some the release is gaming.
And for some who gamble, it can become a problem—fast.
Janet Miller is executive director of the Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling:
"It's creating more anxiety, more depression for some people," Miller says. "And difficulty with managing this pandemic, so some are turning to gambling and some, unfortunately, are ending up in a problem with that."
Miller also says they're seeing younger people with gambling problems seeking help for addiction, she explains what drives a gambler and how they get in trouble with it.
"The people who are struggling with the worldwide pandemic are reaching toward things that can give them a rush or a feel good for a while. Because it affects the pleasure center of the brain."
Miller says a gambling addiction problem can sneak up on anybody, especially during these uncertain times. She says communication is key when you have concerns about someone.
The numbers of people succumbing to a gambling addiction are twice as many as in the last year.
And, Miller says, those seeking treatment and counseling for a gambling addiction are younger than you might think.
"What we are seeing is people who are between the ages of 18-and-44 are calling more often than last year."
With Louisiana moving ahead with electronic sports gaming and sports books at casinos, temptation is now as close as your phone. But so is help if gaming becomes an addiction.
