According to projections from the American Gaming Association (AGA), 20.5 million Americans intend to wager a total of $1.8 billion on the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The FIFA World Cup in Qatar is the first men’s competition since the Supreme Court’s decision to lift the federal ban on sports betting in 2018 allowed a large number of states to legalize the activity.

AGA Senior Vice President Casey Clark said, “As the World Cup kicks off, anyone getting in on the action should have a game plan to bet responsibly. That means setting a budget, keeping it fun, learning the odds and playing with legal, regulated operators.”

By participating in legal gambling, people can avoid trouble with the law while placing bets on the World Cup or any other sports event. However, it also implies that it might be simpler for gamblers to develop risky habits.

Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council, said, “Gambling is a hidden addiction; there are not as many outward signs, there’s no substance in gambling, so people misunderstand it as a moral or an issue of weak will.”

Due to a lack of reporting, stigma, and gaps in education regarding harmful behaviors, it is challenging to quantify the number of people who have gambling issues or clinically recognized gambling addictions.

Whyte claims that the risk variables that can cause more people to experience problems are increasing. He said, “indicators have risen by about 30% between 2018 and 2021. We’ve also seen significant increases in calls, texts and chats to our national helpline, roughly a 45% increase in calls between 2021 and 2022.”

The odds will always be against you in Betting; Whyte says, “Sports betting is seen as a game of skill; some people think they’re better at it than others. But with that, the more people bet, the more skilled they become. It can encourage chasing your losses and persisting in gambling behavior far past the limits you set, far past reasonable losses and into significant financial harm.”

According to Whyte, some states in the country have taken measures against gambling and tried to regulate them, but most don’t really care about it.

“Most states are either too ignorant about the problems excessive gambling creates or they’re simply indifferent to the problems because the windfall tax revenues blind their eyes,” Whyte said in his statement.

In these circumstances, it is up to the individual to keep their gambling habits in check and prevent themselves from placing bets that send them into a financial crisis.