Therapists Are Worried About Impact of Wisconsin Sports Betting on Problem Gambling Reports

As many consider the prospect of Wisconsin sports betting expansion, local therapists and mental advocates are already worried that the current setup is adversely impacting those in The Badger State.

Rose Blozinski, the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling, recently spoke with Wisconsin Public Radio’s Wisconsin Today show. During her appearance, she stated that the problem gambling hotline is seeing a noticeable uptick in activity.

“We’re getting more calls, either from people concerned about somebody or someone with questions (themselves),”she says. “When you increase the accessibility, you’re going to have people who are going to try it, and you’re going to have people who are going to get addicted to it.”

This is not a new phenomenon. As the popularity of online sports betting in the United States continues to increase, so too have reports of problem gambling. The sensitivity of the subject engenders all sorts of different approaches.

Some states simply have not legalized sports betting because of these risks. Others punt on the legalization of online sports betting. They believe retail-only wagering is less accessible and, therefore, easier to regulate. As it stands, this is the current setup for sports betting in Wisconsin. Residents can only place bets at one of the state’s physical sportsbooks.

Most other states, meanwhile, have a problem gambling fund to which they allocate portions of their sports betting revenue. However, many experts believe this isn’t enough. And given that the United States sports betting industry is still relatively young, it stands to reason that there’s room for material improvement.

Wisconsin Sports Betting Helpline Received Over 15,000 Calls in 2023

Doug LaBelle is a clinical social worker who works with the Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling. In a conversation with Wisconsin Public Radio, he said that in 2023 the council’s helpline “received 15,500 calls last year, a rise from 2021.” He also predicts that the number of calls will be even higher for 2024.

This is an issue for a multitude of reasons. But it is especially pertinent as the Wisconsin sports betting market deals with calls to expand its offerings. 

The Badger State launched retail operations back in November 2021. But once more than half of the United States offers online sports betting, the demand for Wisconsin online sports betting began increasing exponentially.

Experts in and outside the market predict that this expansion is inevitable. Whether that expansion is imminent or a matter of years, if not decades, remains to be seen. But Wisconsin casino operators go as far as saying that they know it’s coming.

However, if the state finds it does not have a hold on problem gambling prevention and treatment, this could delay expansion to the online sports betting sector. And while some will think that’s for the best, there is no guarantee it’s actually safer. Keeping mobile sites out of Wisconsin sports betting will prevent many from gambling at all, but it will drive others to more unsafe, totally unregulated options. 

This is part of the reason why Blozinski says the Problem Gambling Council doesn’t tell people to not bet on sports in Wisconsin. Instead, she and the rest of the coalition just want to ensure the experience is safer and less addictive.

Should More Restrictions be Placed on Sports Betting Age Limits?

Reconciling the desires to make Wisconsin sports betting safer and less addictive while also making it more accessible is counterintuitive. You seemingly cannot cater to one without sacrificing the other.

Still, there may be an opportunity to increase the level of safety if markets take aim at certain demographics. Consider this excerpt from Wisconsin Public Radio’s Trevor Hook:

“Another concern among mental health experts is a rise in new, younger gamblers. Advertising spending for online sports betting has ballooned in recent years, with online sportsbooks jumping from spending less than $100 million in 2018 to nearly $1.4 billion just four years later.

“An analysis from research firm Ipsos found nearly 40 percent of bettors are under the age of 35. But the head of the National Council on Problem Gambling told Pew Research in 2022 that he was particularly worried about a growth in even younger bettors, ranging from 18 to 24 years old. A poll from September found that men under 45 gamble online two-and-a-half times more than average, and men under 30 show signs of problematic online gambling at a rate more than triple that of the overall population.”

Males between 18 and 34 are catnip for the sports industry in general. It makes sense that sports betting companies would tailor their products to them. That’s especially true when it comes to online wagering. This demographic is going to be more comfortable gambling (and just generally being) online than older age brackets.

Can Anything be Done to Address Sports Betting Concerns in Wisconsin?

Addressing this issue isn’t easy. It may not even be possible so long as sports betting is around.

But The Badger State’s problem gambling council is emphasizing Wisconsin sports betting education for younger members of the population. This should theoretically help give future and current bettors the tools to make safer, smarter decisions.

Granted, this is not a totally novel approach. Other states have councils and programs that attempt to do the same. But this certainly seems like an area in which states with legal sports betting should have to more heavily invest. And maybe this is also a matter where sportsbooks should be assessed higher fees to help more aggressively fund these programs.

To be sure, we are not pretending to have the answers. This is not a binary issue. There are all sorts of gray areas. However, as of now, it’s clear the concerns surrounding Wisconsin sports betting are valid. None of us should be afraid to acknowledge as much—or have discussions about what can be done to address it.

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