Michigan Problem Gambling Referrals Have Risen Sharply
Referrals to Michigan's state-funded gambling disorder treatment program have climbed sharply since the state legalized online sportsbooks and internet casino gaming in January 2021, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' (MDHHS) own program data.
Referrals grew from 295 in the year before legalization to 468 in the most recently completed fiscal year, even as helpline contacts more than tripled in the first 12 months of the regulated market.
What The State's Numbers Show
MDHHS runs the Gambling Disorder Treatment and Prevention Program (GDTPP), which operates Michigan's toll-free problem gambling helpline and funds treatment referrals through the state's Compulsive Gaming Prevention Fund.
In a 2022 newsroom release marking one year since legalization, the department said the helpline took more than 4,400 calls in 2021, nearly triple the number logged in 2020, the last year before online betting was legal.
Treatment referrals rose from 295 in 2020 to 420 in 2021, a 42% year-on-year increase.
The Trend Has Continued
MDHHS's Fiscal Year 2024 annual report shows the helpline assisted 4,543 residents that year, of whom 468 were referred to treatment services, including 39 placements in the state's Gambling Diversion program and more than 10 veterans.
That is up from 468 total referrals reported in FY2024 against 420 in the first full year after legalization, part of a broader climb the department links to "the challenges and growing impact of online gambling and sports betting."
Why Michigan Is Watching Closely
Michigan was among the first US states to combine retail and online casino gaming with mobile sports betting under a single regulatory framework, a model that several other states have since adopted.
MDHHS has responded by expanding online casino disorder outreach into digital treatment platforms and mobile services aimed at rural and underserved areas, and continues to fund its 14th Annual Gambling Disorder Symposium and related provider training as it works to keep pace with demand for the helpline (800-270-7117), which operates around the clock.
While You Are Here, Why Not Check Out Our: Casino Games Hub & Free Slots?
The Bigger Picture
Michigan's experience mirrors findings elsewhere in North America.
A separate Canadian study published this month found gambling-related emergency room visits in Ontario have also risen sharply since that province opened its online gambling and single-event sports betting market to private operators in 2022, with the steepest increases among young men.
Regulators in both markets say the data underline the need for sustained investment in problem gambling helplines and treatment infrastructure as legal online betting expands.
Refer to Cashback Terms & Conditions for full program terms.
