Problem gaming calls up in Connecticut after legalisation of sports betting

Hotline calls were up 87 per cent in November 2021, the first full month of legal online sports betting and igaming.

US.- The Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling reports that calls to its helpline rose by 87 per cent year-on-year in November, the first full month of legal online sports betting and igaming in the state. Executive director Diana Goode said the increase was alarming but had not been reflected in the number of patients in addiction treatment. 

She said: “The new thing is people saying, ‘I just lost everything yesterday, because it was Football Sunday.”

In less than three months of online gambling, from the soft launch in early October to December 31, Connecticut gamblers wagered $2.6bn. They bet $325m on sports and $2.3bn on digital casino games. After paying off winners, sportsbooks kept $21.5m and online casinos $36.8m. 

See also: Connecticut gaming figures on the rise in December