March Madness may be fun and games, but it can be 'life-threatening' for some problem gamblers

As the popularity of sports gambling has risen, so have calls to problem gambling helplines. Gambling addiction can be life-threatening, advocate tells Fox News.

While the sports betting industry rakes in record-breaking revenue with more and more states legalizing the practice, 20% of U.S. adults with severe gambling problems say they've attempted suicide in the past year, a problem gambling director told Fox News.

"The rate of suicidal behavior, self-destructive behavior among people with severe gambling problems is incredibly high," National Council on Problem Gambling Executive Director Keith Whyte said. "That makes problem gambling a life-threatening disorder, that makes it a national public health issue, if not a national public health emergency."

The American Gaming Association expects one in four U.S. adults will place a bet on March Madness this year.  (Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

This year, 68 million adults in the U.S. — or 26% of the adult population — are expected to wager around $15.5 billion on the men's March Madness tournament, according to the American Gaming Association. Sports betting brought in $7.5 billion in gross gaming revenue from 2021 to 2022, a 73% increase year-over-year.

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Total commercial gaming revenue brought in an annual record of $60 billion in 2022, up from the previous record of $53 billion a year earlier, according to the American Gaming Association. 

"The number of regular sports bettors in the United States has roughly doubled in the past five years," Whyte told Fox News.

Before a Supreme Court ruling in 2018 struck down an anti-gambling law, Nevada was the only state that allowed legal sports gambling. Since then, 36