CLEVELAND — For Mike Ruffing, becoming a father changed his life. He was at home more and found an escape in putting money down on sporting events.

He admits some of it was done through underground betting channels and said it often took up what was intended to be family time.

What You Need To Know

  • A new specific type of sports betting is called micro betting

  • Micro betting is where someone can make a bet in real time during a game about a specific aspect of it

  • A former sports gambler believes micro betting could cause an addiction since March Madness begins with many games and bets available 

“When I saw the direct impact it was having on my family, I knew it was time to address it," Ruffing said. 

He realized he needed help, and he got counseling. He’s now started a firm called Maverick LLC, which helps develop programs and regulations centered on responsible sports betting.

“The first arm is sharing my story," Ruffing said. "To start to break the stigma for Americans seeking help and having a healthy relationship of sports betting.”

Sports betting has been legal since Jan. 1 in Ohio. He said a feature called micro betting could hook more people into an addiction to sports betting. Micro betting is where someone can place a bet in real time on a specific aspect of a game. He found a few available on one app.

“Who’s gonna have the most assists?" Ruffing said. "Who’s gonna have the most turnovers?"

He said this feature will be tempting as the NCAA men’s basketball tournament starts, since it multiplies the number of scenarios.

“More and more it’s available across multiple sports," Ruffing said. "March Madness will be in full force with dozens of games throughout the day. Hundreds of bets available in real time at the click of a button on your phone.”

Ruffing said sports betting is even more accessible now since there are apps. The Ohio Casino Control Commission’s first revenue report found that of the $208 million in sports betting revenue collected in January, $205 million came from online bets.

“Micro betting in game, constant action only increases the probability of an addictive or problematic behavior," Ruffing said. 

Ruffing said sports betting enhances the experience, but should not redefine it.

“I just think you need to do it in a responsible way," Ruffing said. 

The Casino Control Commission has restrictions on what you can bet on. For example, you can’t bet on how many timeouts or technical fouls will be called. If it’s a football game, you can’t put money down on the coin toss.