Young and Hooked On The Game: Is There a Sports Betting Crisis? episode artwork

EPISODE · May 21, 2026 · 43 MIN

Young and Hooked On The Game: Is There a Sports Betting Crisis?

from The Dr. Phil Podcast

Since the Supreme Court allowed states to legalize sports betting 8 years ago, the industry has exploded with over $160 billion dollars legally bet on sports last year … especially with the introduction of mobile and online sports books. Many claim the legalization has allowed betting on teams, and even individual players, to not only become the new normal, but an accepted part of sports culture. Some experts claim this normalization, along with the online accessibility, and marketing centered around sports betting, could be leading to a health crisis among young male adults – a group who are reported to have the highest sports gambling rates. Dr. Phil speaks with Mason, a 21-year-old college senior who is a popular sports betting influencer who says although he believes the industry targets young adults, particularly colleges students, he says it’s unfair to blame the sports betting industry for gambling addiction. Dr. Phil will also speak with Dustin, a young man who says betting on sports started off as innocent fun, but then snowballed into a powerful addiction that saw him betting nearly a quarter of a million dollars in just 3 years. Now, Dustin says it’s been 212 days since he last placed a sports bet, find out how betting sobriety has changed his life. Plus, Dr. Phil will speak with Kyle, a college student sports journalist who knows the topic of sports betting on his college campus well. Find why Kyle says prop betting on an individual athlete’s performance is very popular among college students.Thank you to our sponsor:Everyone says they'll record their family's story “someday,” but we all know that usually means never. This platform makes it effortless by guiding you through every step, so capturing memories actually gets done. With personalized prompts and seamless voice-to-text, your stories. Use the Code 'SPECIALPHIL' for additional 10% off.go to: https://narratone.com/Thank you to our sponsor:Don’t wait! If you’re on Medicare or will be soon, reach out to Chapter: Call: (352)-845-0659 or go to https://askchapter.org to learn about your Medicare options and get help finding ways to save money.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sports betting is a multi-billion dollar industry, but is its popularity and accessibility leading to a health crisis among young male adults – a group who are reported to have the highest sports gambling rates.

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Young and Hooked On The Game: Is There a Sports Betting Crisis?

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This episode is 43 minutes long.

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This episode was published on May 21, 2026.

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Since the Supreme Court allowed states to legalize sports betting 8 years ago, the industry has exploded with over $160 billion dollars legally bet on sports last year … especially with the introduction of mobile and online sports books. Many claim...

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