Over Labor Day weekend, I spent time binge-watching reality television while attempting to complete school work. During a commercial break of my newest obsession, “Below Deck,” Lisa Vanderpump and Gordan Ramsey appear. Being a huge fan of “Vanderpump Rules,” they had my attention.

I was initially under the impression that the advertisement was for her cocktail garden in Caesars Palace, but it had nothing to do with her restaurant. It had nothing to do with any of her reality TV shows. The ad had nothing to do with cooking or restaurants at all. Vanderpump and Ramsey were in a sports gambling ad for Caesars Sportsbook.

To preface this, I do not gamble. No one in my family does either, but I am not against gamblers who do so responsibly. But it hurts me to watch sports broadcasts live since you can’t even go a minute without gambling being shoved down your throat.

The Guardian just released an article where researchers found that a gambling ad or logo is shown during big sporting events every 13 seconds. It actually pains me to watch anything with commercials because I can’t tell you the last time I made it through a break without seeing a commercial for Bet MGM, FanDuel Casino or an app for slot machines. Get Kevin Hart, Jamie Foxx and every other celebrity they use to boost their marketing off my screen.

I have met four different types of sports gamblers during my time in college. The first category is those who “only bet on big games. The second “enjoys sports betting, but limits themselves to five dollars.” The third “won big one time and now pour their money into every bet hoping to hit big again.” The fourth, “ never won big but, maybe if they just keep betting, will eventually win.”

I had a friend who was unable to pay rent due to spending all his money on sports gambling on NFL games. I had a coworker who was so addicted to sports gambling that I witnessed him lose $120 in five minutes betting on darts. Customers can become so addicted to sports gambling that they begin betting on random sports they have no interest in.

I think what annoys me most about sports gambling is how the advertising is just everywhere.You genuinely can’t escape it. I do acknowledge how placing certain bets requires a thorough understanding of gameplay, players and overall season statistics. I can give sports betting the benefit of the doubt in that it does require knowledge and a bit of skill, unlike other forms of gambling.

Have you ever gone to the casino with someone and watched them lose $60 in four minutes on a slot machine? Sadly, I have. Going to the casino feels like such a degenerate experience depending on who’s sitting at your table. As I observed a blackjack table my friend was sitting at, I overheard a 50-year-old man comment, “I come here for an hour every day, this is way cheaper than a Pirates game.” Pirates’ tickets are like $30, and a blackjack minimum bet is $15.

Next to him, a college student exclaims, “I need to keep playing, that tuition isn’t going to pay itself back!” I fully agree with him, but instead of playing blackjack, I am more of a fan of placing my money in a savings account where it will gradually gain interest over time.

I think what aggravated me the most while observing this table was when I gave my friend his phone back. It was not during an active game, and I laid it faced down on the table, powered off. Within five seconds, the dealer was screaming “no phones on the table” at me.

Apparently, there’s a rule where you are not allowed to have phones on the table because it could cause players to cheat. I’m sorry, blackjack is a game of chance. There’s no skill involved. It’s not like players can ask ChatGPT to help them win. Does no one find that weird? I would understand if it were a recording rule, but even then, you can watch blackjack all day. It’s not going to make you a better player since it’s still a game of chance!

With all this being said, if you are a casino-goer, it makes more sense to place money on card games where you still have some form of choice, unlike slot machines. I very much enjoy watching slot machines with their bright colors, visuals and fun sounds. However, I genuinely think that is the worst thing you can bet on. You hope you win money by pressing a button. There are also now online slots that take out the enjoyment of watching them.

Addiction Help found that nearly five million Americans are compulsive gamblers. Approximately six percent of American college students have gambling addictions resulting in failing grades, accumulated debt and psychological difficulties, according to College Gambling.

While researching college students and gambling, I came across a student support page from Shippensburg University. Their student support page offers information and helplines to resources both on and off campuses for all types of addictions, including gambling. However, this was one of the few universities I found that offers this level of support and acknowledges gambling as an addiction.

Is this a practice more universities should adopt? Should we at Point Park be doing more to recognize this new wave of online addiction? I believe it would be beneficial to students’ well-being if our school hosted an event dedicated to educating students about the dangers of gambling. We already hold events for sexual health, drugs and alcohol, why not also address gambling?

In retrospect, my opinions do not reflect those who gamble responsibly. If anything, I am more frustrated with how out-of-hand gambling is now in our society and how easy it is to access it. The required “gambling problem?” hotline number in white letters always seems to fade into the background, covered by coins and confetti. It is not doing much to provide help to those who need it. Since starting college, I have seen the problem affect many of my friends and young adults around me. In my past three years of living in Pittsburgh, I have only seen it get worse.