Addiction specialists urge caution with sports betting launching Thursday in Kansas – KMBC Kansas City

Legal sports betting is just a few days away from becoming a reality in Kansas. Gamblers will start placing bets later this week.It's a good bet that you've seen signs and advertisements that legal sports betting has arrived in Kansas."It starts off innocently," said addiction specialist Suzanne Taylor, of Midwest Recovery Centers.Since legalizing sports betting, the area has been inundated with promises of free money, but Taylor said that free money can come with a huge cost."They say they are going to give you $200, and they know they are going to get you hooked. They absolutely know it," Taylor said.The temptation will be even greater now that you can go to the casino to place bets or choose to gamble from home or anywhere else; it's as easy as a click or two on your cellphone."Casinos are extremely effective at what they do," she said.Taylor said the lure of quick cash and the rush can lead to addiction."There are certain things that give us dumps of dopamine, and those sorts of things are substances because they actually change our brain chemistry to produce more dopamine and then gambling," she said.Taylor said that the chemical rush tosses rational behavior out of the window and what is fun and recreation for some, turns into addiction for others."They saw there are three stages to addiction: Fun, fun with problems and then just problems," Taylor said.On the Internet:National Council on Problem Gambling

Legal sports betting is just a few days away from becoming a reality in Kansas. Gamblers will start placing bets later this week.

It's a good bet that you've seen signs and advertisements that legal sports betting has arrived in Kansas.

"It starts off innocently," said addiction specialist Suzanne Taylor, of Midwest Recovery Centers.

Since legalizing sports betting, the area has been inundated with promises of free money, but Taylor said that free money can come with a huge cost.

"They say they are going to give you $200, and they know they are going to get you hooked. They absolutely know it," Taylor said.

The temptation will be even greater now that you can go to the casino to place bets or choose to gamble from home or anywhere else; it's as easy as a click or two on your cellphone.

"Casinos are extremely effective at what they do," she said.

Taylor said the lure of quick cash and the rush can lead to addiction.

"There are certain things that give us dumps of dopamine, and those sorts of things are substances because they actually change our brain chemistry to produce more dopamine and then gambling," she said.

Taylor said that the chemical rush tosses rational behavior out of the window and what is fun and recreation for some, turns into addiction for others.

"They saw there are three stages to addiction: Fun, fun with problems and then just problems," Taylor said.

On the Internet:

National Council on Problem Gambling

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Addiction specialists urge caution with sports betting launching Thursday in Kansas - KMBC Kansas City