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Call 1-800-GAMBLER or text “SUPPORT” to 53342 for free, confidential support in California. Across the US call the National Problem Gambling Helpline on 1-800-522-4700.
About SBS
Stop Betting Sports was founded by Dan Field, LCSW, and Deborah Buhaj, two clinicians working directly in gambling addiction treatment, prevention and recovery.
We build awareness of gambling-related harm, reduce stigma, and give hope to people affected by sports betting, including families, schools and college communities.
Independent, clinician-led support
Our work is grounded in clinical experience, lived experience and prevention. The goal is practical: help people understand the risks, find support, and believe recovery is possible.
Evidence-based and unbiased
Stop Betting Sports is not funded by the gambling industry, so our approach stays independent, evidence-informed and focused on people affected by harm.
Built around real support
We bring together clinicians, people in recovery, addiction specialists and prevention experts to speak openly about sports betting and its consequences.
Prevention for young people
We work with schools and colleges to highlight the risks of gambling addiction, the warning signs, and the support available before harm escalates.
Meet the A-Team
Stop Betting Sports is led by clinicians who understand gambling addiction from the inside of treatment, recovery, prevention and family support.
Dan Field, LCSW
Co-founder and therapist specialising in gambling addiction.
Dan has spent more than a decade treating problem gamblers, including running one of California’s largest publicly funded gambling treatment programmes. He is also an adjunct professor at the USC School of Social Work, training the next generation of clinicians on addiction.
Deborah Buhaj
Co-founder and clinician trained through the UCLA Gambling Studies Program.
Deborah works with individuals and families affected by sports betting and gaming-related harm. Her work focuses on recovery skills, rebuilding trust within families, and prevention – helping younger bettors avoid the cycle before it starts.
The Sunday Project
Each week, Dan and Deborah host the Sunday Project, bringing together voices from across the recovery and prevention world to talk openly about sports betting and the harm it can cause.
It is a space for honest conversation, practical education and hope – with regular input from people with lived experience, addiction specialists, clinicians, prevention experts and advocates.
Regular Speakers
The Sunday Project includes regular speakers who bring lived experience, clinical insight, public health knowledge, advocacy and recovery-focused perspectives.
Jared Campbell
Jared Campbell is a comedian, former actor, ex-professional athlete and devoted father. He is a recovery advocate who uses his lived experience with gambling addiction to educate, inspire and support others on their own recovery journey. As part of the Stop Betting Sports team, he is passionate about prevention, reducing stigma, and helping people understand that gambling addiction is treatable and lasting recovery is possible.
Bob Gray
Bob Gray has spent nearly four decades in brand strategy for organisations like Nike, HBO and the LA Dodgers. He is a Senior Member of the National Council on Problem Gambling, supporting responsible gaming efforts nationwide. A former gambler himself, Bob now supports others on their own journey.
Marc Lefkowitz, ICGC-II
Marc Lefkowitz has been a certified gambling counsellor since 1998, with 12 years as Director of Training for the California Council on Problem Gambling and decades of work in treatment, training and responsible gambling education. He is the recipient of California’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Jeff Beck National Recovery Award.
Matt Zarb-Cousin
Matt Zarb-Cousin is co-founder of Gamban, gambling-blocking software, and director of Clean Up Gambling, a UK campaign group pushing for reform of online gambling regulation. In recovery since 2010, he previously led the successful campaign to cut Fixed Odds Betting Terminal stakes from £100 to £2 a spin.
Louis Ruggiero
Louis Ruggiero is the host of Nothing’s Off The Table, a podcast built around honest conversations about resilience, recovery and the realities of addiction. Through his work, Louis helps create space for people to speak openly about difficult experiences and the process of rebuilding.
Support that is independent, informed and human
Whether through education, prevention, recovery conversations or family support, Stop Betting Sports helps people understand the risks, find support and believe that change is possible.
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