Dan Field, LCSW is a therapist specializing in gambling addiction treatment. He brings over ten years of experience working with problem gamblers and has served as Program Director for the largest publicly funded gambling addiction residential program in California. In the wake of the 2018 Supreme Court decision to legalize sports betting in the United States, Dan has seen the online gaming industry explode. He believes that betting on sports is just as serious of an addiction as opiates or alcohol, and uses an individually tailored approach for treating the unique problems that sports bettors and their families are faced with. Dan has extensive experience in inpatient, outpatient, and telehealth settings, and has learned over the years that sports bettors cannot quit on their own.
In addition to his clinical work, Dan serves as an adjunct professor at the USC School of Social Work, where he trains graduate-level social workers on addiction and mental health. He also provides clinical supervision for gambling addiction counselors through the UCLA Gambling Studies Program.
A practicing Associate Clinical Social Worker, David Leong’s commitment to treating gambling addiction grew out of his own experiences with problem gambling. David started out playing and loving competitive sports, and his passion turned into a sports betting addiction. Like other compulsive gamblers, David thought he had an “edge” because of his in-depth sports knowledge. He tried to quit for years, but he was unable to do it alone.
He stopped gambling for good in 2017 with the ongoing counsel and mentorship of Dan. He recently completed his Masters of Social Work and received specialized training from the UCLA Gambling Studies Program. Combining clinical experience with empathy for the highs, lows, and despairs of gambling addiction, it’s David’s mission to help others find their way out of the sports betting cycle.
Dr. Mark McDowell is a practicing primary care physician with over ten years’ experience in the field. Working in both community-based and inpatient medical settings, he has treated hundreds of individuals who present with issues of addiction and chronic mental illness. A long-time colleague of Dan’s, he too has been alarmed by the normalization of sports betting and is concerned by the growing public health crisis resulting from its unconstrained expansion. His medical expertise serves as a complement to Dan and David’s counseling and coaching for those sports bettors who require psychotropic medication to manage their addiction.
In addition to his work with SBS, Mark is the Chief Medical Officer at the Do Well Health Center in West Valley City, Utah. He has trained medical students in primary care and community family medicine as an adjunct professor at USC’s Keck School of Medicine.
Our founders, Dan Field and David Leong launched Stop Betting Sports to help addicted gamblers quit gambling. Dan and David have been treating gambling addiction throughout their careers, and they’ve helped many change their lives through recovery. Meanwhile, David is also a recovering compulsive gambler. Our approach is uniquely built upon both clinical expertise and firsthand knowledge of the treatment journey.
Together, we are dedicated to the mission of informing addicted gamblers of the deceptive tactics the gaming industry uses to “hook” people into a vicious cycle of loss. The best way to motivate real change is through intensive treatment with an experienced team. It is incredibly difficult to quit any addiction on your own. Support, accountability, and
experienced counsel are key.
