For decades, the profile of a problem gambler was an elderly woman spending too much money at the casino on slot machines.

Today that portrait has changed sharply to a 30-year-old man placing bets on his cell phone because he is addicted to sports betting, officials said.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal wants to curb that addiction. Blumenthal gathered Monday morning with advocates outside the XL Center in downtown Hartford in front of a large retail sports betting parlor that has been constructed inside the arena.

Known as the SAFE Bet Act, Blumenthal is sponsoring detailed legislation for federal consumer standards and protections for the fast-growing sports betting industry. The bill would require states that have legalized sports betting, including Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and Massachusetts, to reach certain standards regarding affordability, advertising, and artificial intelligence in an effort to curb problem gambling.

One of the proposals calls for banning commercials on sports betting during live athletic events — a time when sports fans are highly enthusiastic about their teams.

Blumenthal raised the issue as the National Football League season begins; gambling traditionally reaches its peak at the Super Bowl with as many as 68 million Americans placing bets.

“The sports betting industry … is growing astronomically, and so is the problem of addictive gambling,” Blumenthal said. “Problem gambling affects everyone. Whether you know it or not, chances are good that you know a co-worker, a neighbor, a family member that has been affected deeply and perhaps irrevocably by addictive gambling.”

Nationwide, $120 billion was bet on all sports last year, according to the American Gaming Association. Of that total, $26.7 billion was wagered on NFL games last year, and that number is expected to jump this year to a record-breaking $35 billion.

But the American Gaming Association issued a statement that blasted the bill by Blumenthal and U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko of upstate New York as “a slap in the face” to state legislatures that have approved betting across the country.

“Today’s regulated sports wagering operators are contributing billions in state taxes across the U.S., protecting consumers from dangerous neighborhood bookies and illegal offshore websites, and working diligently with over 5,000 state and tribal regulators and other stakeholders to ensure a commitment to responsibility and positive play,” said Chris Cylke, the association’s senior vice president. “Six years into legal sports betting, introducing heavy-handed federal prohibitions is a slap in the face to state legislatures and gaming regulators who have dedicated countless time and resources to developing thoughtful frameworks unique to their jurisdictions, and have continued to iterate as their marketplaces evolve.”

A key issue is that the gambling industry targets bettors quickly as they are placing bets on their computer or cell phone.

“This industry targets losers,” Blumenthal said. “It does it methodically and scientifically, using algorithms to track who is betting, what they’re betting on, whether they’re winning or losing.”

Blumenthal added, “We’re not saying gambling should be banned — at least I’m not. But we need to impose safeguards and guardrails for this industry.”

He is calling for restricting bonuses, promotions, and credits that lure gamblers and “forbidding the use of algorithms.”

A casino in your house

Diana Goode, executive director of the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, said the nonprofit is concerned only with gamblers who have run into difficulties.

“Plenty of people gamble and do not have a problem,” Goode told reporters in Hartford. “We are not worried about those people. We’re worried about the people who are being targeted and do have a problem.”

In the past, gamblers who lived within 40 miles of a casino were more likely to become problem gamblers. But that has changed.

“Now, you have a casino in your house,” Goode said. “Everybody has a casino in their house. It’s changing demographics. We used to think it was the little old lady at the slot machines. Now, it’s a 30-something male betting on sports.”

Mallory Schultz, a public health practitioner and prevention manager at the council, said, “Gambling is addictive and having additional policies in place from potentially harmful messaging will ensure the safety of the community.”

Gender shift

With the explosion of sports betting, the profile of the problem gambler has changed, too.

Problem gamblers were previously split about 50-50 between males and females. Now, that has shifted to about 75% male and 25% female, said Valerie Tebbetts, a certified gambling counselor with the council. The men with gambling problems largely range from 21 to 35 years old.

“Maybe they’ve graduated from college, they’ve got their first job,” said Tebbetts, a helpline manager who has seen changes in the past three years. “They have their own money, they’re living at home, trying to save money to start their life. And gambling online is attractive to them. It offers them economic hope. They believe they’re smart enough and that they can win. It’s skill-based. … But the odds are never in your favor.”

In nearby Rhode Island, gambling is legal for 18-year-olds, compared to 21 in Connecticut.

“An 18-year-old man might not be in the most responsible phase of his life,” Tebbetts said.

Excessive gambling, Blumenthal said, can lead to “ruined lives, ruined marriages, and ruined careers.”

A key reason for the explosion in gambling, he said, is that it is so easy to do.

A gambler can place bets, Blumenthal said, “any time of the night or day, literally from the side of your bed or in the bathroom.”

Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com