Sean Martin started betting on sports when it was legalized in Ohio. He never had a problem with gambling until he had access to it on his cell phone.
CANAL WINCHESTER, Ohio – It’s been months since Sean Martin made a bet. He started betting on sports when Ohio legalized it on January 1, 2023.
“I started moving, I didn’t go too crazy, but then [it] started to progress,” he said. “I bet once a week and now I bet twice a week. I’m not a guy who shaves. I’m not a lottery ticket guy, but you know, making a joint bet or betting on a few games is a cool way to play the lottery. Turn 10 dollars into a few 100 dollars, turn 50 dollars into 1,000 dollars.”
Martin would wake up at all hours of the night and bet on sports taking place in different time zones. He watched and bet on baseball in Japan and basketball in China.
“I was doing it for fun. And then, I started to see my funds dwindling, and so I’m chasing losses and telling myself that I need to recover those losses,” Martin said. “I’m a liar, I’m lying to my fiancé… I’m trying to cover my tracks…. and eventually you create a wall of debt that seems insurmountable.”
Martin’s debt was in the five-figure range. He has now consolidated his debt and is on the right path, a similar struggle he managed to overcome with drug and alcohol addiction. He has now been sober for five and a half years and attributes his recovery to his fiance and faith in a higher power.
“I’m very blessed and I’m very lucky to be with someone who understands sobriety and what it takes to stay sober,” he said. “When I think I’m in 100% control of everything, I become selfish, I become self-centered. I started not paying attention to the wants and needs of the people closest to my life. When I started to put my faith in things… [it’s] I will get it right. I still have problems, but I am able to resolve them as an honest, loving and responsible adult.”
Martin is not alone. The Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline has seen a 55% increase in contacts in the past year since sports betting was legalized, according to Maryhaven.
The National Council on Problem Gaming ranks Ohio seventh for calls and texts to the problem gambling hotline. Between December 1, 2023 and May 2, 2024, there were 148,910 calls to the National Gambling Hotline and 2,526 text messages.
If you or someone you love struggles with gambling addiction, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966.
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