Growing number of Connecticut residents seek gambling addiction help
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NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — The state’s general fund has already benefited since the debut of online gaming and sports betting last October. The state collected nearly $2 million in the first month alone, but it comes with a price.
A growing number of Connecticut residents are seeking help for gambling addiction. This includes the number of younger people reaching out, according to the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling (CCPG).
On the chat page on their homepage in January alone, they had as many people visit as all of 2021.
CCPG is neither for or against gambling. Their role is to help connect people to treatment.
“This is still relatively early. We’re still seeing cases where we’re hearing about people who have lost their tuition money and they’re afraid to call their parents. We’ve heard about people that have lost their entire life savings and they don’t know how to tell their spouses,” said Paul Tarbox, manager of public policy and communications at CCPG. “There’s the treatment side of it and actually having the clinicians and the programs to do it, and there’s the prevention side.”
Calls to the help line, which Tarbox said have doubled, act as a conduit to get people in.
If you or someone you know needs help, call (888) 789-7777 or text “CTGAMB” to 53342. You can also click here
