At least one-fifth of college students tap into their financial aid funds for betting, according to Nevada Council on Problem Gambling statistics.

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is the largest betting event in the country, experts say. 38 states and Washington D.C. allow some form of legal sports betting, and as it becomes more prevalent in the US, so too have calls to gambling-addiction hotlines.

“I’ve been addicted to sports gambling since 2017,” said Saul Malek, a recovering sports betting addict. He is not alone, said Ted Hartwell, Executive Director of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling.

“About two-thirds of college students who live on campus are actually betting on sports now, and most of them are not of legal age to do so,” said Hartwell.