A record number of people have called the state’s problem gambling helpline since North Carolina launched legal online sports betting earlier this year.

The helpline took more than 500 calls between March and the end of June, according to data collected by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and obtained by WRAL.

It is the busiest four-month period on record for the helpline, which has data back to 2010. The North Carolina Problem Gambling Helpline set records for the numbers of calls taken in April, May and June, the last month for which data is available.

Sports betting in North Carolina began on March 11, and gamblers in the state have wagered more than $2.5 billion through the end of July.

“In almost every state where we’ve expanded gambling, especially in terms of sports with wagering or iGaming, we’ve seen a rapid growth in the number of calls going to their hot lines,” said Michelle Malkin, the executive director of East Carolina University’s Gambling Research and Policy Initiative.

Calls to the helpline more than doubled from February (68) to March (157) and April (159). The state is on pace to set an annual record, too, for calls to the helpline. The overall number of call is small in a state with roughly 11 million people.

Part of the reason for the increased calls is due of awareness. Gambling companies are required to prominently display the helpline number. But it’s not the only driving force.

“We also see an increase in people who are suffering from some forms of gambling-related harms calling,” Malin said. “They don’t have gambling disorder, but they’re worried about their gambling. They don’t know how to set limits, etc.”

North Carolina collected more than $50 million in taxes and fees from gambling operators and affiliated companies in the fiscal year that ended on June 30. The DHHS received $2 million for gambling addiction and treatment programs.

Opponents to legalized sports gambling, which passed the state legislature in 2023 after previous attempts failed, worried that it would lead to more gambling addiction and other serious problems.

“Increases in crime, theft, embezzlement, job loss. In the home, divorce, child abuse, substance abuse and even suicide,” John Rustin, president of the North Carolina Family Policy Council, told WRAL in 2023 before passage. “Those are the inevitable consequences of pathological and problem gaming, of gambling addiction.”

Malkin said anyone who calls the helpline is eligible for free third-party counseling for gambling. It includes gamblers and those who are impacted by others’ gambling. Insurance is billed, but out-of-pocket costs are covered by the state. The program just launched, but it has room for about 100 people.

“We’re going to assess what they need, how much treatment they need and provide that treatment through this third party,” Malkin said.

Calls to the helpline by month in 2023 and 2024

January: 63 in 2023 and 80 in 2024

February: 76 and 68

March: 80 and 157

April: 85 and 159

May: 76 and 111

June: 74 and 109

North Carolina Problem Gambling Helpline

If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling:

Call: 1-877-718-5543

Text: morethanagame to 53342

Visit: morethanagame.nc.gov

Source: wral.com