We were lucky to catch up with Daniel Field recently and have shared our conversation below.

Daniel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

As a trained gambling addiction counselor, I began to see a major shift in client inquiries. Increasingly, I was getting calls not from the typical “brick and mortar” casino gambler but from younger, mostly male online sports bettors who accumulated substantial debt in a very short amount of time. These individuals did not resonate in the rooms of Gamblers Anonymous with older problem gamblers who were not raised in the era of smartphones and video games which integrated risk/rewad aspects in design. I also noticed a cultural shift towards the normalization of crypto daytrading and sports betting and the unfounded belief that these risky activities were viable ways of making money or even focusing career aspirations.

As more and more states were lifiting bans on online sportsbetting and little or no additional federal funds were earmarked for prevention and treatment, I knew that these inquiries would only increase. In speaking with my colleagues in the treatment industry, I heard repeatedly that this was mirrored in their experience as well. Yet, there was no program dedicated solely to the treatment of sports betting despite this obvious need.

As I researched the issue further, I discovered that collegiate and professional athletes and additional risk for developing a sports betting addiction and that the consequences can be devastating. The exact personality traits that led them to excel professionally–intense pressure to perform at a high level, the competitive mindest that allows them achieve on the field–put them at additional risk to develop an addiction to the highly domaninergic gambling activity. Additionally, there are severe consequences to them professionally if they were to go pulic with their addiction.

Daniel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a Los Angeles-based counselor who has worked for over twenty years in the addiction field and now focuses exclusively on problem gamblers and their families as clinical director of Westside Gambling Treatment, a virtual program for digital gaming addiction. Two years ago, I co-founded Stop Betting Sports (SBS), a specialized training program for athletes and those in the sports-media industry that combines brain science, financial literacy training and individualized counseling to address the consequences of the biggest expansion of legalized sports betting in American history since the Supreme Court overturned the federal ban in 2018.

We are now witnessing a burgeoning public health crisis which disproportionally devastates high-risk groups, particularly young men, individuals with ADHD and those struggling with co-occurring anxiety and depressive disorders. With no federal funding specifically earmarked for gambling addiction treatment, my program fulfills a much needed mandate—to find an effective solution for those whose competitive nature and dedication to excellence has been hijacked by the online sports betting industry.

Athletes and sports industry professionals are more prone to developing a gambling addiction than the general public and there are few discrete, confidential services available. Often, those who need help are simply told to call a toll-free number or attend a public Gamblers Anonymous meeting. These vital resources are necessary but insufficient. SBS offers a private, individually tailored program to athletes based on years of effective treatment of sports-betting addiction. Our team is dedicated to finding workable solutions in a confidential setting that provide lasting recovery from the devastation of problem sports betting.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I received most of my supervised clinical hours in residential drug treatment programs for veterans transitioning out of homelessness at the Los Angeles Veterans Administration. At that time, there was a “no-tolerance policy” on relapse in which one positive drug test would result in immediate discharge with few options for ongoing treatment. The thinking behind this strict “one strike and you’re out” philosophy has evolved since but unfortunately a tone of a punitive, judgmental approach to addiction treatment remains in many settings. I take issue with this approach and have strived to foster a feeling among clients of genuine support when relapse occurs in my intensive outpatient program for problem gamblers. I use the occurrence of relapse to encourage an open discussion in group as to the contributing factors and to lean on the group members themselves to provide guidance and feedback.

At the end of the program, I offer an ongoing support group to build on the connections made and to stress the importance of social connectivity in combatting the inevitable cravings which will occur post-discharge This approach was similarly informed by my experience in residential drug treatment in which veterans were provided little or no meaningful oversight or aftercare options after treatment completion. I think that this attention to fostering group social cohesion and offering an engaging aftercare treatment option has resulted in strong brand loyalty.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Without a doubt, the best source of clients to my practice has been the word of mouth recommendations from others who have received my services. I do have two websites, a Psychology Today profile and have posted videos on YouTube but, in the end, it’s the testimony from clients who can reliably state that they’ve worked with me and they value my appcoach that has generated the most client inquiries.

My philosophy has always been to simply do the job to the best of my abilitiy and to always strive for excellence. I know if I accomplish just this, the rest will take care of itself. While it is important to publicize, I stand by this focus on quality of services over marketing. Over time, individuals recognize your dedication and integrity and become your greatest spokespeople.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stopbettingsports.com
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/dan-field-a8541661
• Other: My treatment website is www.westsidegamblingtreatment.com

Image Credits

Elizabeth Wu Photography