Problem gambling
What states spend on problem-gambling services, how many people have barred themselves from gambling, and how many contact a helpline.
Public funding for problem-gambling services
Most recent figure found for each state, newest first. Funding definitions differ by state and survey edition: some figures include only dedicated appropriations, others include treatment paid from general health budgets.
| State | Fiscal year | Funding | Per resident | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | FY2026 | $2.1M | $0.66 | Office of Problem Gambling Services budget (not yet spent).[1] |
| Massachusetts | FY2025 | $44.5M | $6.23 | Office of Problem Gambling Services projected budget, reported as about $44.54 million. $20.6 million from the Public Health Trust Fund.[2] |
| Virginia | FY2025 | $2.6M | $0.30 | Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund.[3] |
| Minnesota | FY2021 | $1.1M | $0.20 | Statutory allocation, split between the Department of Human Services and the Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance. Excludes a separate $225,000 lottery grant to Northstar.[4] |
| California | FY2016 | $8.5M | $0.22 | Reported by the state to the 2016 national survey of problem-gambling services. No newer total was found.[5] |
| Arkansas | FY2016 | $0 | $0.00 | Arkansas ended state funding between the 2013 and 2016 editions of the national survey.[5] |
Self-exclusion enrollment
People who have asked to be barred from gambling. States report different counts and their programs cover different kinds of gambling, so compare like with like.
| State | Program | Count | People | As of | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | All gambling | Ever enrolled | 15,590 | Feb 28, 2025 | Casinos and video gaming terminals, since the program began. Reported as of February 2025.[6] |
| Michigan | Casinos | Ever enrolled | 4,363 | Sep 2, 2026 | Disassociated Persons List (Detroit casinos), since 2001.[7] |
| Ohio | All gambling | Currently enrolled | 5,146 | Apr 5, 2024 | Voluntary Exclusion Program.[8] |
| All gambling | Ever enrolled | 8,440 | Apr 5, 2024 | Voluntary Exclusion Program (casinos, racinos, sports betting and lottery), since it began.[8] | |
| Pennsylvania | All gambling | New enrollments | 9,677 | Jun 30, 2026 | Fiscal year July 2025 to June 2026.[9] |
| All gambling | Ever enrolled | 34,000 | Aug 8, 2025 | About 34,000 since the program began in 2006. Reported by Casino.org from the Board's data portal.[10] |
Helpline contacts
| State | Year | Contacts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 2024 | 26,751 | Calls and texts to the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania, calendar year. 2,168 were intake calls from people seeking help. Reported by Casino.org.[10] |
| Illinois | 2023 | 25,287 | Calls, calendar year. Reported in the press.[11] |
| Ohio | 2024 | 9,637 | Calls from April 2023 to March 2024, summed from a monthly chart. Approximate.[8] |
| Massachusetts | 2023 | 3,112 | Calls, fiscal year.[12] |
| Iowa | 2025 | 1,230 | Calls to 1-800-BETS OFF, fiscal year.[1] |
| Minnesota | 2020 | 287 | Calls (201) and chats (86), fiscal year.[13] |
Helplines and self-exclusion programs
| State | State problem-gambling helpline number/name | Name and terms of the statewide self-exclusion program |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | National Problem Gambling Helpline, 1-800-522-4700 (calls routed by caller's area code; no Alabama-specific state-run helpline identified) | |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Racing Commission statewide Self-Exclusion List (casino gaming), authorized by H.B. 1847 (2025) | |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling helpline 888-789-7777 (ccpg.org); also DMHAS 860-344-2244 and National Problem Gambling Helpline 1-800-GAMBLER | Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection voluntary self-exclusion program, covering all forms of legalized gambling in the state. |
| District of Columbia | National Council on Problem Gambling helpline, 1-800-522-4700 (24-hour confidential) | DC Lottery Self-Exclusion Program (administered by OLG) 1 year, 18 months, 3 years, 5 years, lifetime |
| Georgia | Georgia Crisis & Access Line: 988 / 1-800-715-4225; National Council on Problem Gambling: 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) | Georgia Lottery voluntary self-exclusion from online/mobile lottery play, requested through the Player Information Hotline (1-800-GA-LUCKY) 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years |
| Idaho | Problem-gambling helpline listed on the Idaho Racing Commission site | |
| Illinois | 1-800-GAMBLER (IGB Problem Gambler Resources) | Illinois Gaming Board Self-Exclusion Program (SEP), covering casino gambling, video gaming, and sports wagering |
| Indiana | Indiana Problem Gambling Help Line, 1-800-9-WITH-IT (1-800-994-8448); text INGAMB to 53342 | Voluntary Exclusion Program (VEP), IC 4-33-4-3, run by the Indiana Gaming Commission since July 1, 2004; extended to online sports wagering operators via HB 1052 (2026), effective July 1, 2026 1 year, 5 years, lifetime |
| Kentucky | ||
| Louisiana | Louisiana Problem Gambling Helpline (Louisiana Dept. of Health), 1-877-770-STOP (7867), 24/7, free, call or text | Louisiana Voluntary Exclusion Program, administered by the Louisiana State Police Gaming Enforcement Division on behalf of the Gaming Control Board 5 years (minimum) |
| Massachusetts | 1-800-GAM-1234 (gamesensema.com) | Voluntary Self-Exclusion (VSE) program run by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission with GameSense; covers casino floors and retail/mobile sports wagering. 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, lifetime |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Gaming Commission statewide Self-Exclusion Program (applies to all MGC-licensed casinos) 3 years (minimum), longer fixed terms, lifetime (only after completing a prior 3-year exclusion) | |
| Missouri | 1-888-BETS-OFF (Missouri Council on Problem Gambling) | |
| New Hampshire | Centralized voluntary statewide self-exclusion database covering all legal NH gaming, administered by a third-party agent selected by the Lottery Commission under RSA 284:6-d | |
| New Jersey | 1-800-GAMBLER (Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, 800gambler.org); DGE self-exclusion sign-up hotline 1-833-788-4DGE | New Jersey Casino Gambling Self-Exclusion Program (DGE), covering land-based casinos/sportsbooks, internet gaming/sports wagering, or both; enrollment in person, by video, or online. 1 year, 5 years, lifetime |
| New Mexico | Statewide self-exclusion program required by the 2015 tribal compacts, Section 4(F)(2): State Gaming Representative maintains a list of persons voluntarily excluding themselves from all Gaming Facilities statewide; tribes must train staff to identify and remove self-excluded persons, purge them from marketing/players'-club lists, and require forfeiture of winnings, credits, tokens or vouchers received while excluded (forfeited amounts fund problem-gambling treatment/assistance programs). The list is confidential, not open to public inspection. | |
| New York | New York Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program (Gaming Commission), covering pari-mutuel/ADW, sports wagering, commercial casinos, video lottery, Lottery draw/instant/QuickDraw games, interactive fantasy sports, and charitable gaming. 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, lifetime | |
| Ohio | Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline, 1-800-589-9966 | |
| Pennsylvania | 1-800-GAMBLER (Pennsylvania Gambling Helpline, operated by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of PA for DDAP); text/chat at 1-800-522-4700 | PGCB statewide Self-Exclusion Program (since 2006, expanded under Act 42 of 2017); new online enrollment system launched July 2023; violation is criminal trespass |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Problem Gambling Hotline 1-877-9GAMBLE (1-877-942-6253, sponsored by the RI Lottery); Problem Gambling Services appointments 1-401-499-2472; RI Council on Problem Gambling 1-401-354-2877 | |
| Tennessee | ||
| Virginia |
Sources
- Iowa Office of Problem Gambling Services, State Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report · Iowa Department of Health and Human Services · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Office of Problem Gambling Services FY25 Budget Overview · Massachusetts Department of Public Health · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Report on Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund Expenditures, Revenues, and Allocations, FY25 · Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Problem Gambling Annual Reconciliation, State Fiscal Year 2021 · Minnesota Department of Human Services, Behavioral Health Division · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- 2016 Survey of Problem Gambling Services in the United States, Executive Summary · Association of Problem Gambling Service Administrators (APGSA) / National Council on Problem Gambling · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- State of Illinois Recognizes March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month · Illinois Department of Human Services / Illinois Gaming Board · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Michigan Gaming Control Board Disassociated Persons List Statistics · Michigan Gaming Control Board · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Ohio Voluntary Exclusion Program Statistics · Ohio Casino Control Commission · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Annual Report · Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Pennsylvania Gambling Hotline Remains Busy, Self-Exclusion Jumps · Casino.org · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Illinois Gambling Helpline Calls Doubled in Size in 2023 · Gambling News · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Office of Problem Gambling Services Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2023 · Massachusetts Department of Public Health · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- Problem Gambling: A Report on the State's Progress in Addressing the Problem of Compulsive Gambling · Minnesota Department of Human Services · retrieved Oct 11, 2026