Title: Understanding and Treating Sports Betting in Clinical Practice

Description:

In 2018, the United States Supreme overturned the federal ban on states authorizing legal sports betting.  This opened the door to legalization of sports betting at the state level. Since then, roughly 35+ states allow/operate and/or are pending legislation for expanding sports betting. Current prevalence reports suggest that college-aged students, particularly male student athletes (current and former), may be more at-risk for developing a gambling disorder. In 2012, 26% of male student-athletes reported violating NCAA bylaws by wagering on sports for money (8% reported wagering on sports once/month or more) (NCAA Student-Athlete Gambling Behaviors and Attitudes: 2004-2012 Executive Summary).  Given this, the goal of the current workshop is three fold. First, we will highlight prevalent risk factors of current and former student athletes,  particularly for those who engage in sports betting. Second, we will review the limited evidence on sports betting with student athletes. Finally, we will discuss a number of evidence-informed treatment strategies to help attendees work more effectively with individuals that sports bet and how to use past athletic experience as a way to better connect with clients.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review current research on sports betting, athletes, and problem gambling.
2. Understand the risk factors of athletes and problem gambling.
3. Learn how to utilize past athletic experience to help develop an effective gambling treatment plan.
4. Discuss evidence-informed clinical interventions that can be utilized with most sports bettors during therapy.

FREE TO ALL REGISTRANTS- Limited Availability

*IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ*

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email from Zoom containing the invitation link.

Register HERE!

Facilitators Biographies:

Jody Bechtold, LCSW, ICGC-II, BACC, IGDC, CGT is a highly regarded gambling addiction expert working extensively across the globe with individuals, organizations, and associations. She is the CEO of The Better Institute, a group practice located in Pittsburgh. She is the co-author of The Gambling Disorder Treatment Handbook: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals (2021) and 2 chapters in the Social Workers Desk Reference v 4 on Gambling and Gaming Disorders, published in 2022. She serves as an Advisor to several startup and non-profits organizations including GamFin, Birches Health, and Seagulls Flock in the Philippines. She also serves as an Emeritus board member for the International Gambling Counselor Certification Board (IGCCB). Jody holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social Work and has several certifications with the International Gambling Counselor Certification Board (ICGC-II, IGDC, BACC, CGT).

Rob Bumbaco is a licensed clinical social worker and certified mental coach. Rob earned his master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh and his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Niagara University. Rob is the COO of The Better Institute, a private practice located in Pittsburgh, PA.

In addition to his clinical background, Rob is a former Division 1 athlete.  Rob is the founder of Back in the Game ®. Back in the Game is a program within The Better Institute designed to support athletes in the following areas: sports performance, recovery from injury, at-risk behaviors, and /mental health. He hosts the weekly podcast Back in the Game: A Sports and Mindset Podcast.