These are measurable phenomena, but addiction has been connected to feelings of anxiety and depression as well. I get it. I used to watch a sporting event and root for a team, or a player or outcome. The emotions are different when money is involved. It has transformed a sense of disappointment into calamity — and in my case the money I'm betting isn't going to keep me from putting food on the table. Imagine if it did?
Athletes now also report that fans bark at them for "ruining their parlay." It used to be that maybe the fan liked the athlete or identified with them. Now, the fan's bet is the dominant thing on his mind.
Betting on sports online is a perfect storm for men in that it combines things we enjoy at a visceral level: sports, money, speed, risk, and thinking that we know something that others don't. It's social, and it makes spending time on sports seem like a job that will pay you money. But what makes it such a powerful intoxicant also gives it the ability to ruin your financial life, your relationships, and your mental health.