Treatment of problem gambling has become a key focal point in the betting industry, and there are many different ways in which stakeholders approach the matter. 

Filmed during the SBC Summit North America at the Meadowlands Exposition Centre, New Jersey, Martyn Lycka’s Safe Bet Show saw former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Jayson Williams share his lived experience. 

Williams, a former player for the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, had a long-running public battle with alcoholism, with him stating that ‘one was too much, but a thousand wasn’t enough’.

At his Rebound Centre, the focus is on ensuring that those struggling with addiction problems – whether it be gambling, alcohol or narcotics – are shown and provided with alternative forms of getting a ‘thrill’.

“I’ll help you jump out of an airplane, so you can trust in us, and you can have that same thrill of placing a bet,” Williams explained.

“Online gambling has nothing wrong if you do it responsibly,” he observed, before commenting on his time spent at the St John’s institute, a rehabilitation centre.

A highly specialised project, the Rebound Centre takes in just five people a year, but currently has a client base of 270. All participants are monitored through a ‘Marco Polo app’ to ensure that they are keeping up with their treatments. 

“All 270 people have to log on and we have to see them, and we keep them accountable, because there is no cure addiction, there is just accountability and structure,” he explained.