Sports Radio Host Craig Carton on Overcoming Gambling Addiction

It has never been easier to place a bet. Once confined mostly to casinos concentrated in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, gambling has expanded to include ready access to lotteries and online games and video games with gambling elements for adults and children. Sports betting is now legal in 37 states plus Washington, DC, with six more considering legislation, according to American Gaming Association data from early 2023. People can gamble around the clock from anywhere and, increasingly, at many ages, including teenagers and even young children who are well below the legal age for gambling. As access to gambling has expanded, psychologists and other experts have become concerned not just that more people will give it a try, but that more will develop gambling problems. And while it is still too soon to know what the long-term effects will be, evidence is growing to suggest that young people, especially boys and men, are among those particularly vulnerable to gambling addiction—the same demographic most often participating in the newest forms of gambling: sports betting and video game-based gambling. * Youturn Health's CEO Hamilton Baiden and Craig Carton have been friends for years. Craig was a successful radio and television personality until his gambling addiction landed him in prison for 12 months. Listen to his story where he seemingly has it all but falls into the dark world of high stakes gambling where his life was literally at stake. Since getting out of prison and finding work again in his chose profession, he works hard to carry the message of recovery to others. Craig Carton is an American radio and television personality. He was the co-host of the Carton and Roberts sports radio program on WFAN in New York City, and is seen nationally on Fox Sports 1 as host of The Carton Show weekday mornings. He previously co-hosted Boomer and Carton on WFAN and later CBS Sports Network from 2007 to 2017. During its 10-year run, Boomer and Carton became the most listened to show in WFAN history, placing first among men ages 25–54. In September 2017, Carton resigned from the program and WFAN after his arrest for securities and wire fraud. He was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, and after serving 12 months, he was released in 2020. That year, he was rehired by WFAN, for which he currently hosts the #1 rated afternoon-drive program with Evan Roberts. Carton also hosts a podcast and public service show called Hello, My Name Is Craig in which he attempts to help listeners work through their gambling addiction and other issues. The show recently celebrated its 100th episode.