Florida RG advocates warn about increase in problem gambling calls

The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling (FCCG) has warned about an increase in calls placed by problem gamblers to helplines as the state is continuing to see an uptick in interest.

The increase in the number of people seeking help comes at a pivotal time for the Sunny State, as online sports betting has become possible through a tribal gaming compact negotiated between Gov. Rob DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which has enabled sports fans in the state to place wagers on the outcome of sports events for the first time, and amidst strong pushback from private parties.

Commenting on the indicated increase in calls to gambling helplines, FCCG government relations representative, Richard Pinsky, has said that at least 2% of people in Florida have a gambling behavioral disorder, and that the issue was already spilling over to family, friends, and loved ones of the people actually affected with the problem.

According to Pinsky, a significant part of the calls placed with helplines already came from people who have been affected by the gambling habits of someone close to them. Pinsky also cautioned that youngsters and younger people, in general, are particularly susceptible to developing a problem with gambling.

"You already have young people being very accustomed to living by their mobile phone. Add in how easy it is to add in that daily component of sports betting," commented Pinsky for NPR, a local media outlet.

Pinsky and the FCCG provided further information as to how many people have been placing calls to gambling helplines specifically and cautioned that he expects to see the number of problem gamblers increase precisely because younger people are the most at risk of being influenced by online gambling.

There has been a sharp increase in calls from the reported period of 2018-2019 when 10,713 helpline contacts were made to 23,558 helpline contacts for the period of 2020-2021, and 26,230 helpline contacts for the period of 2022-2023.

The FCCG also projects that the helpline contacts for 2023-2024 will reach 39,748, perhaps occasioned by the arrival of an entirely new vertical that players may now explore, but not least, because of raising awareness for problem gambling, and more people willing to seek help and get better.

He urged lawmakers to take more decisive steps in acknowledging the potential problem with gambling in Florida and step up consumer protection measures. In the meantime, legal challenges to online sports betting in Florida continue, but they are unlikely to make a dent.

Image credit: Unsplash.com