Mental health experts warn of gambling addiction spike
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Since Gov. JB Pritzker signed a gambling expansion bill in 2019, sports betting and casinos have grown across the state, and mental health professionals are seeing more people seeking help with problem gambling.
Why it matters: Chicago's first permanent casino, Bally's Chicago, is slated to open this year, and the 2026 city budget passed last month could pave the way for video gaming to be available in the city.
The big picture: Problem gambling affected nearly 4% of Illinois residents in 2021, according to the state. Nearly 20 million American adults reported last year experiencing at least one problematic gambling behavior "many times" in the past year, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling.
- More than 13,000 assessments were conducted by treatment providers in Illinois in 2021, representing a 440% increase over the previous year and a 185% increase over the previous year in the number of individuals receiving gambling treatment.
State of play: Illinois has a self-exclusion program that allows problem gamblers to put themselves on a list barring them from entering casinos and online and retail sportsbooks.
- Information is shared with gambling operators and participants cannot cash checks or get credit at any casino. Their names are removed from any lists that send gambling promotional information.
- Since the program launched, more than 16,000 people have enrolled in the program, according to the Illinois Gaming Board.
Zoom in: The legalization of sports betting was like "putting gasoline on the fire," Barney Straus, a certified problem and compulsive gambling counselor in Chicago, tells Axios.
- "[Bettors] can literally siphon money directly from their bank accounts into the gambling app, and I've seen hardworking, mostly guys, lose tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars."
The other side: The Sports Betting Alliance, which lobbies for legalized online sports gambling, argues it's better to have legalized sports betting so protections can be put in place for people. Otherwise, gamblers can end up in the illegal, unrelated market that has no protections.
The intrigue: Male gamblers tend to be "action gamblers," betting on sports or playing poker, while women tend to be "escape gamblers" who seek out slots and video gaming machines to sort of "disappear," Straus adds.
The good news: "There is more awareness. We also are much better at understanding mental health and addiction. We're also much more accepting of the fact that if somebody has a problem, they can receive help, and it's not shameful to ask for help," Anita Pindiur from the Way Back Inn, a west suburban nonprofit treating people with gambling use disorder, tells Axios.
- "Gambling use disorder has been moved in the DSM under addiction [in the last decade] so we're able to see and treat and bill … insurance companies, which we couldn't previously."
How to get help: In addition to the Way Back Inn, statewide and national hotlines are available. Illinois launched the "Are You Really Winning" campaign in 2022 with more resources.
- The Illinois Council on Problem Gambling also has resources like a self-assessment test.