Kentucky reports rise in problem gambling helpline calls in 2024
It is one of several states that has drawn attention to this trend.
Key Points
- March was the state’s highest call volume month
- More than 2,300 calls to the help hotline have come in so far this year
The Kentucky Council for Problem Gambling has reported an increase in call volume to its helpline during the past year, according to a WKYT local news report.
The council noted that the hotline received more than 2,300 calls from January to September of this year. Out of those calls taken, 348 callers said sports betting was “their most problematic form of gambling.”
According to the report, March was Kentucky’s peak month for high call volume. The helpline took in 470 calls during March.
West Virginia’s Problem Gambling Help Network reported that close to 1,200 West Virginia residents reached out to the group last year for help with problem gambling issues.
Calls to the helpline from Illinois residents have reached nearly 16,000 during the first half of 2024, the report said. This number reflects a 23% boost in calls made during this time period last year.
The Ohio for Responsible Gambling (ORG) reported that during the first year of regulated sports betting in the Buckeye State, the helpline reported that calls have increased by 55%. The helpline logged 10,637 calls during 2023.
Good to know: The rise in helpline calls has become an increasing trend in several states around the country
According to the report, calls have been on the rise monthly. Calls during the month of December nearly doubled when compared to activity during this time last year.
A recent study in Florida conducted by the Social Science Research Network has found that players are pulling back on stock market investments to bet on sports.
The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling has also reported a rise in calls to its problem gambling hotline since the market’s opening late last year.
According to the recent report from the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network, help call volume in Illinois more than doubled in 2023 when compared to the call volume in 2022.
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