Online gambling addiction and the growing public health crisis

Harry Levant was once addicted to gambling. He's now a therapist who helps others struggling with problem-gambling. He talks about the growing public health crisis.

Air Date: April 24, 2026 12:00 pm

FILE - FanDuel, DraftKings and other online gambling apps are displayed on a phone in San Francisco, Sept. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Human beings have been gambling on games of chance for thousands of years. Today, sports betting has completely changed the landscape. You can put money down on predicting balls and strikes, free throws and touchdowns in real times as the action unfolds. It’s fast-paced and exciting, offering instant gratification…if you win. Sadly, what begins as entertainment can spiral into addiction, especially for young men.

This week our guest is Harry Levant, who was once a struggled with problem-gambling but is now a therapist. After being charged with stealing money from his own clients to feed his addiction, he made a promise to the court to dedicate himself to helping others who had lost control of their lives to gambling.

Today, Harry is a therapist, advocate and Director of Gambling Policy with the Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University. We’ll talk about what hooked him and what it will take to address the growing crisis gambling addiction.

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