As sports betting becomes more prevalent, industry regulators continue to grapple with how to combat the surge in problem gambling.
According to the Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG), approximately 2.5 million U.S. adults meet the criteria for a severe gambling problem each year, while another 5-8 million experience mild to moderate gambling addictions.
“We know it’s an issue,” ADG Division of Problem Gambling Director (DPG) Elise Mikkelsen told RG. “Studies have been done nationwide that put it around 2-4% who are affected by gambling in a negative way. I’d say it’s probably bigger than that.”
What’s more is the problem does not appear to be going away.
Arizona’s DPG funded gambling addiction treatment for 992 individuals in fiscal year 2024, up from 948 in 2023 and 816 in 2022.
Problem Gambling Services Vary
Among the issues, Mikkelsen said, is the lack of federal funding for problem gambling. While states tend to allocate a portion of their gambling revenue to addiction services, it is often insufficient to fully address the issue at hand.
Nevertheless, Arizona’s DPG has designed several initiatives to try to mitigate concerns. These include a free anonymous helpline (1-800-NEXT-STEP), traditional counseling services, and self-exclusion programs where individuals can voluntarily ban themselves from tribal casinos and online betting apps for up to 10 years.
The department also hopes to launch peer support services sometime this summer.
“Peer support is different in that it’s not counseling, but it fills in those gaps,” Mikkelsen said. “Taking a person to a GA meeting, meeting a person for coffee to see how they’re doing. (It’s) more intimate, more tailored and you’re also dealing with a peer, someone who has been through this.
“People come to us in their darkest hours when they’re on their knees. A peer support person can literally be that bright light for them.”
Mikkelsen fears the increased accessibility of sports betting is only exacerbating addiction issues. With online wagering now available in 38 states plus Washington, D.C., placing a bet is easier than ever before.
Last year alone, Arizona took in $7.96 billion in legal sports wagers, representing a 21.1% year-over-year increase from $6.57 billion.
This continued into 2025, with Arizona’s monthly handle for January reaching $864.2 million. Notably, that was the sixth-highest total in the United States behind New York ($2.48 billion), Illinois ($1.47 billion), New Jersey ($1.15 billion), Ohio ($1.01 billion) and Pennsylvania ($873.1 million).
“So many more people have accessibility,” Mikkelsen said, adding that she’s particularly concerned about its impact on youth. “We have seen data that kids are gambling in unconventional ways that we don’t think of. … If they have that exposure at a young age, they have a greater risk of it becoming a problem in their adulthood.”
Divvying Up the Resources a Challenge
Each year, the Arizona DPG gets 2% of revenue from gaming and $300,000 from the state lottery. A portion of that money is redirected to help fund addiction treatment services.
It is hardly ever enough.
“One of our challenges is balancing the money allocated versus the people we have to get things done,” said Mikkelsen, who’s one of five people on staff.
“These programs take time and a lot of thought. It’s definitely a delicate balance.”
While the department has a marketing budget to promote its services, it pales in comparison to what sports wagering licensees are able to spend.
Nevertheless, getting the word out is vital. Mikkelsen noted that calls to Arizona’s DPG helpline continue to increase. FY 2024 saw 687 calls made, up from 185 in FY 2021.
“They’re mandated to advertise our (helpline) number,” Mikkelsen said. “The national advertising, or local advertising, has certainly got our message out in ways we never could’ve dreamed of.
“We are seeing incremental numbers in treatment, but we’d gone so low during the (COVID-19) pandemic.”
In the meantime, campaigning for federal funding continues.
Doug Bonjour
