Florida Gambling Hotline sees 50% more calls when online bet raises dependent problems
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Florida Gambling Hotline sees 50% more calls when online bet raises dependent problems

Pensacola, Fla. – Florida Council on compulsive gambling saw a more than 50 percent increase in the calls for last year.

Some experts across the country say because of the accessibility of online games, it should be seen as a public health problem.

Dr. Rob Rotunda, a psychologist professor at the University of West Florida, conducted previous state research on gaming and gambling problems in 2012.

He says games have changed overtime.

“I think there is more access nowadays, considering the online environment,” he said.

You used to drive to the casino to place a bet. Now the casino comes to you through apps like “Fanduel”, “Draftkings” and “Prizepicks.”

Even “Hard Rock Bet” – with ads with Post Malone, among others – shows the average consumer how easy it is to win big money from your phone.

“It’s so much more comfortable now,” said Amanda Fayard, clinical supervisor for Road to Recovery at Lakeview. “With just click on a button on your phone or even on your computer. And most make it very easy.”

According to the National Council on problem gambling, approximately 2.5 million Americans have serious gambling problems. Another 5 to 8 million American adults have mild or moderate gambling problems.

Fayard says addiction can cause various negative effects on mental health, including depression and anxiety. But it can go beyond that as well.

“People will often spend too much money in this habit,” she said.

“Bankruptcy, family problems, divorce, separation can all arise when people come to the point that their lives revolve around games,” Dr. Rotunda.

The Lancet Public Health Journal published an editorial staff in 2024 and urged governments and decision makers to treat games as a public health problem.

Lancet’s research from 2024 says that some groups are facing an increased risk of gaming injuries – including children and adolescents – because they are “routinely exposed to gaming product advertising and industry messages and sponsorship, in ways that were unique before the digital revolution.”

Research from the American Psychological Association 2023 says people in the early 20s are the fastest growing group of players.

Fayard who says that gambling addiction usually chases it “high” to win.

“When children do, it becomes much easier in the brain and it creates these paths in their brain to make them want to seek that feeling and get that dopamine hit,” Fayard said. “So overtime can lead to them becoming dependent on other things in life, not just play.”

Dr. Rotunda says online gaming is not at the public health crisis. But he thinks it’s something to keep an eye on.

“We should actively examine it in the state of Florida and have services available for when some people need it,” he said.

If you or someone you know need help, call 1-800 gambler, which is the national problem game hotline. Or call 888-admit-it for the Florida-based helpline.