Des Moines, Iowa — As March Madness starts in Des Moines today (Thursday) with the opening rounds of the NCAA basketball tournament, betting is sure to be big business, especially with six Iowa teams in the men’s and women’s contests.
The Iowa Gaming Association reports Iowans wagered 233 million dollars last March, with college hoops accounting for most of it. Susan Sheridan Tucker, an educator on problem gambling, says those office bracket pools can be a lot of fun.
Gamblers are no longer just betting on the outcome of games but on a wide variety of in-game opportunities. With the wide availability of sports books in Iowa, Sheridan Tucker says she has concerns about how easy it is to bet on mobile apps.
Sheridan Tucker says it’s no coincidence that Problem Gambling Awareness Month and the basketball tournament are both in March. An estimated 68 million Americans will wager more than 15 billion dollars on the NCAA tourney this year. Anyone who thinks they may have a problem can call the Your Life Iowa hotline at 1-800-BETS-OFF.
