Wellness

• Gambling can become a health issue: Gambling disorder is a medical condition — not a personal failing — and high-exposure sports seasons can make urges harder to manage.
• Expert tips to stay grounded: Simple, evidence-based strategies to reduce triggers and cope during the most challenging times.
• Finding support: At UCAC, we offer offer compassionate care from counselors certified in treating gambling disorders, focused on understanding, not blame.

If gambling is starting to feel harder to control support is available. Connect with the UC/UC Health Addiction Center to learn more about treatment options or schedule an appointment. Call 513-585-9722. 

Why Gambling Can Become a Serious Health Issue

Gambling disorder isn’t about weak willpower or poor choices. It’s a recognized mental health condition that affects how the brain responds to risk, reward, and stress. 

For some people, gambling activates the brain’s reward system in powerful ways. Wins — and even near-wins — release dopamine, a chemical tied to pleasure and motivation. Over time, the brain can begin to crave that feeling, pushing a person to gamble more often or take bigger risks just to feel “normal.” That brain-based cycle helps explain why stopping isn’t as simple as “just saying no.” As gambling behavior escalates, stress, anxiety, and shame often follow — making it even harder to step away without support.

According to Jason Maurath, Clinical Operations Manager at UC/UC Health Addition Center (UCAC), for some patients "the urge to gamble can feel intrusive and relentless, even when they desperately want to change." 

Who Gambling Disorder Affects — and Why It’s Often Missed

Gambling disorder can affect anyone — regardless of age, income, education, or background. Many people are surprised to learn that it often develops quietly, without the outward signs people associate with addiction.

Sports betting, in particular, can blur the line between entertainment and risk. Friendly competition, social conversations, and constant media coverage can make betting feel harmless — even expected. When gambling is normalized, it becomes easier to miss the warning signs.

For some people, gambling starts as a way to relax or connect with others. Over time, it can become a way to cope with stress, anxiety, boredom, or financial pressure. Mobile apps and around-the-clock access can accelerate that shift, making it harder to step away.

Shame also plays a major role in why gambling disorder goes unnoticed. Many people struggle in silence, believing they should be able to control it on their own. According to Jason, "what's especially painful is how misunderstood the struggle can feel; people often assume gambling is “just entertainment” or something that should be easy to stop." That stigma can delay care — even when the impact on mental health, relationships, or finances becomes overwhelming.

Recognizing gambling disorder as a medical condition helps remove that blame. "When gambling disorder is framed as a health condition, patients often experience a noticeable drop in defensiveness and self-blame...That shift opens the door to learning skills, tolerating discomfort, and sticking with treatment during setbacks," Jason shares. 

Why High-Profile Sports Events Are Especially Challenging

During televised sporting events, including major college basketball tournaments, gambling becomes nearly impossible to ignore.

Sports betting ads are everywhere — during games, on social media, and across streaming platforms. Many feature well-known athletes and celebrities, which can make betting feel harmless, exciting, or even endorsed. For someone working to manage gambling urges, that constant exposure can be overwhelming.

The challenge isn’t just digital. In the Greater Cincinnati region, in-person gambling locations are close and accessible. Easy access, paired with heightened excitement around games, can make impulsive decisions harder to resist.

These seasons also carry strong emotions. Close games, upsets, and last-second wins can create intense highs — while losses can trigger stress or a desire to “win it back.” For people living with gambling disorder, that emotional swing can quickly reignite harmful patterns.

At UCAC, Jason shares, "we encourage patients to be honest about what they can and can’t handle — and to adjust expectations accordingly. That may mean redefining how they engage with sports, choosing where and with whom they watch games, or stepping back altogether for a period of time."

How to Stay Vigilant During the Toughest Times

High-risk sports seasons don’t have to derail recovery — but they do require intention and planning. Staying vigilant isn’t about perfection. It’s about putting guardrails in place before stress and temptation take over.  According to Jason an important strategy is to create healthy routine through "sleep, meals, stress management, and regular support contacts.  Stability in daily life can significantly reduce vulnerability when excitement and temptation spike. Other important tips: 

• Plan ahead for triggers: If certain games, conversations, or environments increase urges, it helps to decide in advance how you’ll respond. That might mean watching games with supportive people, choosing activities that don’t involve betting, or skipping situations that feel too risky.
• Limit exposure to betting cues: Sports betting ads, app notifications, and celebrity endorsements can quickly activate cravings. Removing betting apps, muting notifications, or taking breaks from sports media can significantly reduce temptation during peak seasons.
• Create accountability: Letting a trusted friend, family member, or counselor know that this is a challenging time can make a big difference. Accountability isn’t about control — it’s about connection and support.
• Replace urges with grounding activities: Urges often peak and pass within minutes. Physical movement, deep breathing, calling someone you trust, or shifting focus to another activity can help ride out those moments without acting on them.
• Check in with yourself regularly: Stress, fatigue, and strong emotions can lower resilience. Simple check-ins — How am I feeling? What do I need right now? — can help catch warning signs early.

Recovery happens one decision at a time. Even during the most challenging seasons, small, intentional choices can protect progress and build confidence.

How Loved Ones Can Offer Support Without Judgment

When someone is struggling with gambling disorder, the support of family and friends can be powerful — especially during high-risk sports seasons. But how that support is offered matters.

• Lead with empathy, not blame: Gambling disorder is a disease, not a character flaw. Approaching conversations with curiosity and concern — rather than anger or ultimatums — helps keep communication open.
• Focus on behaviors, not labels: Instead of criticizing the person, talk about specific concerns you’ve noticed, such as stress, secrecy, or financial strain. This reduces defensiveness and keeps the focus on well-being.
• Avoid trying to “police” choices: Constant monitoring can increase shame and resistance. Support works best when it’s collaborative — offering help, listening, and encouraging professional care when needed.
• Encourage treatment and outside support: Loved ones don’t have to have all the answers. Gently suggesting counseling or specialized treatment can be a meaningful step, especially if urges feel harder to manage during peak sports seasons.
• Take care of yourself, too: Supporting someone with gambling disorder can be emotionally taxing. Setting healthy boundaries and seeking support for yourself helps sustain long-term care for everyone involved.

Compassion and patience create space for healing — and remind people struggling that they don’t have to face this alone.

When to Seek Professional Help for Gambling

Jason's advice: "Struggling doesn’t mean you’ve failed,  it means you’re human and dealing with something that deserves care. You don’t have to wait until things are “bad enough” to ask for help, and you don’t have to explain or justify why this feels hard. Support exists precisely for moments like this. Speaking up can feel frightening, but it’s often the first step toward relief, clarity, and real change."

Some signs it may be time to talk with a counselor include:

• Feeling unable to cut back or stop, even when you want to
• Gambling to cope with stress, anxiety, or difficult emotions
• Hiding gambling behavior or lying about losses
• Financial strain, debt, or repeated attempts to “win back” money
• Increased urges during high-risk sports seasons
• Feelings of guilt, shame, or hopelessness related to gambling

Seeking help early can make recovery easier — but it’s never “too late” to benefit from care. Professional treatment offers structure, tools, and support that most people can’t build on their own, especially during times when temptation is constant.

Why Choose a Counselor Certified in Gambling Disorder Treatment

Not all addiction treatment is the same — and gambling disorder requires specialized expertise.

At UCAC, specialized counselors have obtained a Gambling Disorder Endorsement from the Ohio Chemical Dependencies Professionals (OCDP) Board. These providers have received advanced training focused specifically on behavioral addictions. This includes understanding how gambling affects the brain, how it differs from substance use disorders, and why relapse risk increases during high-exposure periods like major sports seasons.

Certification typically includes:

• Specialized education in gambling disorder as a diagnosable mental health condition
• Training in evidence-based therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing
• Strategies for relapse prevention, especially during high-risk times
• Skills to address co-occurring conditions like anxiety, depression, or substance use
• Education on the financial and relational impacts unique to gambling disorder

This level of training matters because a gambling disorder is a brain-based disease that changes how a person processes reward, risk, and impulse control. Repeated exposure to gambling can rewire neural pathways — making urges stronger and harder to manage without structured support.

Why UC Health for Help with Addiction

At UC Health locations in Cincinnati and West Chester, UC/UC Addiction Center counselors are qualified in treating gambling disorders. The focus isn’t on judgment — it’s on helping people understand what’s happening in their brain and giving them tools to move forward. Counselors work with patients to create realistic, supportive plans for recovery. Call us at 513-585-8227 to get started.