Last month, Ohio State football lost to Michigan for the first time in ten years. The upset made for a lot of disappointed buckeye fans across the state. But it also led to an increase in the number of calls coming into gambling helplines.
More calls to the gambling hotline after major sporting events is common. That’s according to Derek Longmeier, the Executive Director of the Ohio Problem Gambling helpline. He says that Ohio has high gambling addiction numbers when it comes to betting on sporting events.
“So, as we look at just general gambling, we know from our statewide data that about one in 10 Ohioans who gamble are at risk for developing a gambling problem,” said Longmeier, “When we look specifically at sports betting that goes from one to ten to one and four.”
The Ohio Problem Gambling helpline offers phone and text counseling as well as inpatient treatment services for veterans.
