As the number of nearly endless opportunities to gamble keeps rising, the number of Virginians seeking help for a gambling addiction is also increasing, according to the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling.

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month, designed to raise awareness about the problems associated with a gambling addiction. The council offers a free helpline for anyone seeking assistance with a gambling addiction.

“From 2019 to now, our total number of callers has spiked 1,000%. Callers who are asking for treatment has spiked 200%,” said Carolyn Hawley, President of VCPG. “With increased opportunities to gamble, more people are going to develop problems.”

She calls the response to the helpline “phenomenal.”

“For people with gambling addiction we’ve seen incredibly low rates — nationwide it’s been about 5% of individuals going to treatment. For our helpline, with our intakes, we have 29% of all those callers are actively meeting with a clinician,” Hawley said.

“From our end, when they get referred to the partnership [Virginia Partnership for Gaming and Health] from the helpline, the numbers are even better than that. About 70% of our referrals are meeting with treatment providers and 75% are meeting with a peer recovery specialist. We aren’t seeing anything like that anywhere in the country. The model that’s put in place is really impressive,” Hawley said.

Problem gambling is defined as all gambling behavior patterns that compromise, disrupt or damage personal, family, or vocational pursuits. Approximately 2 million U.S. adults (1% of the population) are estimated to meet the criteria for severe problem gambling. Another 4-6 million (2-3%) meet the criteria for mild or moderate problem gambling.

In 2023 alone, 10,608 calls were made to the VCPG’s free 24-hour helpline, up 20% from 8,780 calls in 2022.

Gambling at slot machines at casinos or the track was cited as the number one type of gambling activity that callers had engaged in, followed by sports betting and skill games.

Prominent financial ramifications from the callers’ experiences with problem gambling included spending all their extra money or savings, being late on bills, borrowing from friends/family, and incurring additional credit card debt.

Legal gambling options continue growing exponentially in Virginia.

Virginia Lottery ticket sales and sports betting each established single-month records in January, another temporary casino opened last year in Danville and the full Hard Rock Hotel & Casino complex continues to take shape in Bristol.

Earlier this month the Virginia General Assembly approved legislation to again allow skill games — electronic slot machine-like games that interface just like slots. If signed by the governor, the machines will again appear in convenience stores, bars, restaurants, truck stops and other retail locations.

Hawley is concerned what the skills games might mean.

“The legislation lacks that age and ID verification for players. It’s leaving it up to the operators, the retailers, to check. I can’t see their workers policing these machines. While it calls for self-exclusion, I don’t see how you could implement it without ID verification,” Hawley said.

Self exclusion refers to a program operated by the Virginia Lottery. It maintains a list of more than 900 people who contacted the lottery and asked to not be allowed to participate in Lottery-managed gaming, including casinos, lottery and sports betting. Their status can be verified by ID.

“That self exclusion has been invaluable to individuals who say when they’re craving gambling, being on this program is a strong deterrent,” she said.

“The work done by the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling is vital now more than ever for the Commonwealth,” said Virginia Lottery Interim Executive Director Tony Russell. “The Virginia Lottery for many years has been proud to partner with the VCPG to help raise awareness of problem gambling and resources available in Virginia that can help.”

With the arrival of March Madness, many people may gamble for the first time by wagering money on the tournament.

“Everyone is getting their bracket together,” Hawley said. “We want to remind everyone to keep it fun, keep it safe, know the game and understand your odds of winning. Make a plan for how much time and money you’re able to spend. Don’t borrow from other people to afford a gambling habit. Only bet with money you can expect to lose.”

For the majority of adults, gambling can be a fun and entertaining experience, but there are risks involved. Sports bettors are at particularly high-risk for developing a gambling problem. According to the National Survey on Gambling Attitudes and Gambling Experiences 2.0, four out of five sports bettors reported often needing to gamble more and more over time to achieve the same feeling of excitement.

“Play accelerates the dopamine release which furthers the addictive process. We just have to be mindful,” she said. “There are no guardrails.”

Hawley said the state is building a network of providers and treatment and support groups that can aid those with gambling issues but the key is raising awareness at a young age.

“We need to put resources in place to keep those problems from happening. To create that education and awareness about gambling disorder,” she said. “Many don’t understand it, they don’t understand behavioral addiction. They think it’s a lesser addiction than others so parents may be more willing to participate in gambling with their children. We know from the data, the earlier you start gambling, the more likely you are to develop problems. We are going to see more need.”

The Virginia Problem Gambling Helpline, 1-888-532-3500, is a free, 24/7/365 service that refers callers to peer recovery specialists who are experienced in gambling and/or substance use. These specialists can answer questions, provide support and direct callers to valuable resources in their geographic area.

The helpline is easily accessible by call, text or even by online chat at vcpg.net. All callers who allow follow-up calls receive regular contacts via phone, text and email after 48 hours, one week, one month and six months.