Southeastern Recovery Center Responds to Gambling Addiction Crisis Amid NC Sports Betting Boom

CHARLOTTE/CONCORD, NC, UNITED STATES, October 10, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Southeastern Recovery Center, a leading addiction treatment provider serving the Charlotte and Concord region, today announced a newly expanded focus on treating gambling addiction, in addition to its existing substance use disorder programs. The expansion responds to a dramatic uptick in problem betting behaviors since North Carolina legalized online sports wagering in 2024.

Responding to a New Landscape of Risk

With the passage of House Bill 347 in June 2023, North Carolina formally legalized and regulated online and mobile sports betting, launching platforms statewide on March 11, 2024. Over just ten months, bettors in North Carolina wagered more than $5.4 billion, underscoring how rapidly the market scaled.

While this new industry has driven economic activity and tax revenue, it has also introduced serious public health challenges. Recent analyses have raised concerns about the correlation between the expansion of legalized betting and increases in financial stress, compulsive gambling behaviors, and co‑occurring mental health conditions.

At Southeastern Recovery Center, clinicians began seeing early warning signs: an increasing number of referrals, self‑reporting from clients, and co‑diagnoses of gambling issues alongside substance misuse. In response, the center designed and launched a dedicated Gambling Addiction Track integrated into its holistic care model.

The New Gambling Addiction Track: A Holistic, Evidence‑Based Response

The gambling treatment track at Southeastern Recovery Center augments its existing continuum of care (PHP - Partial Hospitalization, IOP - Intensive Outpatient, and outpatient support) with specialized programming tailored to behavioral addictions.

Key features include:
- Screening & assessment protocols to identify gambling disorder risk and severity
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) modules adapted for gambling, including relapse prevention strategies
- Motivational Interviewing (MI) to support ambivalence around change
- Financial counseling and debt management integration
- Family therapy and support groups
- Dual diagnosis care, recognizing many clients present with both substance and behavioral addictions
- Aftercare and relapse prevention, including peer support, alumni networks, and ongoing check-ins

Because Southeastern Recovery Center has long emphasized dual diagnosis and integrated treatment models, the team was able to incorporate gambling treatment without departing from its core care philosophy.

Early Results: Uptick in Need, Promising Outcomes

Since rolling out the gambling track in mid-2025, Southeastern Recovery Center reports:
- A 50 % increase in referrals citing gambling-related harm or combined substance/gambling concerns
- A doubling of new intakes in select months compared to 2023
- Positive early indicators of engagement and retention among clients in the gambling program
- Clients reporting financial relief, reduced urge to gamble, and better management of triggers

“Although gambling addiction has long existed in the shadows, the scale of exposure now afforded by online platforms means we can no longer treat it as a niche issue,” said Rhett Owensby, Clinical Director at Southeastern Recovery Center. “We’re seeing clients whose lives unravel in weeks, not decades, and it's critical that we intervene fast and comprehensively.”

A Call for Collaboration & Prevention

Southeastern Recovery Center emphasizes that treatment is only one piece of the equation. As North Carolina’s sports betting market continues to mature, the center urges coordinated efforts across stakeholders:
- Public health and the NC Lottery Commission should allocate a portion of sports betting tax revenues toward gambling harm prevention, treatment, and research
- Healthcare providers and insurers must recognize gambling disorder as a treatable condition
- Communities, schools, and employers should integrate gambling risk education into prevention programs
- Researchers should track longitudinal outcomes and refine best practices for treatment

The law authorizing sports wagering in North Carolina includes a directive to channel some revenues toward “gambling addiction education and treatment programs.” Southeastern Recovery Center stands ready to be a delivery partner in that mission.

About Southeastern Recovery Center

Founded in November 2023, Southeastern Recovery Center is a family‑owned, full continuum addiction treatment provider serving the Charlotte–Concord region. The center emphasizes holistic, individualized care, combining evidence-based therapies, medically guided support, mental health integration, and strong family involvement. With the new gambling addiction track, it is now among the few facilities in the region addressing both substance use and behavioral addictions under one roof.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
Southeastern Recovery Center
Address: 1018 Lee‑Ann Drive, Concord, NC
Phone: (704) 248‑8561
Email: contact@serecoverycenter.com
Website: www.serecoverycenter.com

Jake Gorman
Southeastern Recovery Center
+1 704-572-7172
email us here

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