In 2024, Kentucky’s gambling helpline experienced a huge rise in calls, texts, and chats, with total contacts growing to more than twice the number from the year before.
KYCPG Links Helpline Call Increase to Sports Betting Laws and Awareness Campaigns
The Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling (KYCPG) links this big increase to the new laws allowing sports betting and the rush of ads promoting both gambling and resources to gamble responsibly.
The 1-800-GAMBLER hotline got 3,240 calls in 2024, way more than in earlier years. About 20% of these calls resulted in real help, like sending people to counseling or Gamblers Anonymous. Michael R. Stone, who runs KYCPG, says this jump shows more people know about gambling problems. However, the Council is not sure if more people are having trouble with gambling or if they are just more willing to ask for help now.
Looking at data from earlier years shows slower growth in helpline use. The helpline got about 55 calls a month in 2022. This went up a bit to 66 calls before sports betting started in October 2023. After it became legal monthly calls shot up to 270 in 2024. On average, 44 people got reportable services, marking a 65% rise from the year before.
Stone pointed out how big ad campaigns helped promote responsible gambling. Ads for sports betting often showed messages about problem gambling and the helpline number during TV sports events. This was the biggest awareness push of its kind in Kentucky. Stone thinks this visibility made people struggling with gambling take a hard look at their habits and ask for help.
Gambling Addiction Costs Kentucky $500M Annually, With Thousands Struggling to Cope
Before Kentucky made sports betting legal, gambling data showed the state had about 64,000 people hooked on gambling and another 165,000 with gambling problems. These groups put together are as big as a major Kentucky city. The costs to society from gambling addiction, including less work getting done, people going broke, and money spent on court and jail expenses, added up to around $500 million each year.
The 2024 helpline stats showed men called the helpline three times more often than women, with financial troubles being the main concern. Sports betting, lotteries, and casino games were the key reasons behind these calls. It is worrying that 20 people talked about wanting to end their lives during these chats — a stark reminder of how gambling addiction can hurt someone’s mental health.
The KYCPG plans to tackle these problems at its 28th Annual Educational and Awareness Conference set for March 13-14 at the Cincinnati Airport Hilton in Florence. The event, with the theme “Building Toward the Future,”, aims to increase the number of certified gambling counselors in Kentucky.