As sports betting grows, so does problem gambling
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The rise of sports betting has coincided with a statewide explosion of problem gamblers.
Why it matters: Gambling addiction can be as crippling as drug addiction, and Ohio invests 2% of its sports betting tax proceeds toward combatting the problem.
How it works: The nonprofit Problem Gambling Network of Ohio promotes a variety of resources, from the problem gambling helpline and gamblers anonymous meeting locator to financial counseling.
- It also offers services for gamblers to self-ban themselves from casinos and betting websites.
- Last year, the nonprofit launched the Ohio Gambling Telehealth Network to connect people with gambling counselors even if they don't have local access to one.
- The state has its own responsible gambling initiative.
State of play: The nonprofit's leader sees shifts in the way people become addicted.
- "Put in your mind what gambling looks like: You're probably at a casino," executive director Derek Longmeier tells us. "But that's not where a lot of gambling takes place now."
Threat level: Slot machines have historically been the game most associated with addiction risk, Longmeier says, but the accessibility of mobile sports betting makes it even riskier.
- "What makes slot machines so addictive is how many repetitions you can have within a short amount of time," he says. "Now (with sports gambling), you can do that … 24/7 in the palm of your hand."
Between the lines: Sports gambling hasn't been legal here long enough for a comprehensive study on its addiction impact, but warning signs already existed.
- A state survey found that around 6% of Ohioans were at-risk or problem gamblers in 2012 when casinos first opened.
- That figure jumped to nearly 20% in 2022.
Flashback: PGNO's growth during Longmeier's nine years at the helm demonstrates the magnitude of need.
- In 2016, his entire program was funded by a $20,000 grant, he says. The 2025 budget — funded by state grants and contracts, donations and gambling tax revenue — is $3 million.
- "In my first few months, I was trying to get people to care about gambling and was told quite literally, 'We have bigger fish to fry.' … It was both rewarding and sad for those same people who had bigger fish to fry to come back last year and say, 'We really see this as an issue. Can you help us?'"
What's next: Matt Schuler, executive director of the Ohio Casino Control Commission, tells Axios the state wants sportsbooks to improve their ability to "detect and properly address" customers showing signs of problem gambling.
- An example would be when a customer typically betting $25 or $50 starts betting $300 at a time — a sign of "chasing their losses."
Yes, but: Schuler says that sportsbooks, by nature, are trying to appeal to the same impulses that can lead to addiction and financial ruin.
- Betting promos are "always laid out to [players] in the best, most attractive terms, not showing them what their truth really is."
For help with problem gambling, call 1-800-589-9966 or visit GamblingHelpOhio.org.