As a result, we’re seeing more people dealing with gambling addiction. Calls to the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline nearly doubled from 5,706 in 2022 to 9,724 in 2024. Most callers said their gambling form of choice was sports betting.
According to a recent report, there are 255,000 people with problem gambling in Ohio. The problem is so severe that Gov. Mike DeWine now says he regrets signing the bill.
Last year, I saw a map from the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio (PGNO) that showed the number of clinicians trained to treat gambling addiction in each county. Butler County had zero.
In 2024, Butler County ranked 7th out of 88 counties for number of calls to the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline. One of the key roles we play at the Butler County Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Services (MHARS) Board is to make sure our county’s network of providers has the resources to address our residents’ needs. I knew we had to address the growing gambling addiction problem.
The MHARS Board worked with PGNO to train 19 Butler County clinicians by last July. Today, Community Behavioral Health, Sojourner Recovery Services, Sunrise Treatment Center and Access Counseling all offer treatment for gambling addiction. Now, we are one of the counties with the most resources to treat this disorder.
Gambling addiction is different than alcoholism or substance use disorder because it often affects people with no history of trauma in their background. The single biggest predictor of developing a gambling addiction is a big early win.
Gambling addiction has the highest suicide rate of all addictions, with one in five people ultimately deciding there is no way out but to take their own life.
That is why it is so important to have clinicians who know how to treat the cognitive distortions that come with gambling addiction. Treatment usually includes dispelling the belief that the person has “figured out” the algorithm or the slot machine; or that they are “due” for another big win.
Treatment also includes connecting the person to resources that help them get out of their financial hole. Ohio participates in GamFin, a nonprofit network that helps people rebuild their finances after amassing gambling debt. Counselors work with people to rebuild their credit and hopefully avoid bankruptcy.
Sometimes GamFin works with people who aren’t gamblers themselves but are family members who have gone into debt taking out loans to pay off the gambling debts of their loved ones. GamFin also connects people to TimeOut Ohio, a voluntary way people can ban themselves from casino, racinos and sports gambling in Ohio.
As the sports gambling industry explodes in our state, providers and policymakers are working to keep up. Here in Butler County, we all can rest a little easier knowing we have four providers with clinicians who are well trained in treating gambling addiction.
At the MHARS Board, we will continue to monitor the data and do our best to respond to what our residents need.
If you or someone you love is struggling with gambling addiction call Ohio’s Problem Gambling Helpline: 800-589-9966. For Problem Gambling resources in your area, visit gamblinghelpohio.org.
Cara Brown, LISW-S, LICDC-CS, is the Director of Addiction Services for the Butler County Mental Health and Addiction Services Board. She also sits on the board of the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio.
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