- Gambling has become more normalized in the US, which has led to new instances of problem gambling.
- Ohio is only devoting 2% of gambling revenue to addiction services in their upcoming legalization plans.
- Trainwreck of Trainwreckstv has lost 22.9 million over the course of nine months.
LAS VEGAS - As gambling becomes more and more normalized, issues of problem gambling have begun to take on larger prominence in the consciousness of the United States.
Ohio Groups Try To Center Problem Gambling During Legalization Process
While Ohio has gone ahead with their plans to legalize sports betting, various advocacy groups in the state have been hoping that said process keeps those with gambling issues - and those that could develop them - in mind.
Ohio is looking to set up sports betting in mobile and land based forms, and even plans to roll out sports betting kiosks for residents to use at restaurants and bars.
Only 2% of the revenue from Ohio sports gambling will go to addiction services in Ohio, a number that some advocates could argue is too low.
Derek Longmeier, executive director of The Problem Gambling Network of Ohio, points out that their hotline already sees around 500 calls per month.
With the legalization of gambling, of course, this is likely to go up.
“We expect that number to increase,” Longmeier said of the number of calls his organization receives. “What that looks like, we’re not sure. But we’ll have the appropriate people in place to be prepared for that uptick.”
In Ohio’s close neighbor Michigan, helpline calls quintupled after the regulation and instantiation of state-based sports betting.
Twitch Streamer Reveals Gambling Losses
Trainwreckstv is one of the more popular streaming channels on Twitch.tv, and Tyler Niknam, AKA Trainwreck, has been one of the major gambling streamers on the platform.
It was revealed via a Twitch data breach that he was the second highest earning slot machine streamer on the entire platform.
However, he recently got honest about what online gambling has cost him, and this reveal could spur serious questions about the ethics of gambling on a platform like Twitch.
The amount of money he lost was truly staggering.
“In nine months, I lost $ 22.9 million,” Trainwreck said. “It was really horrible, it’s bad. You don’t even understand. All my friends knew, but I didn’t feel comfortable saying anything because those numbers are unfathomable. ”
With gambling on the rise significantly, the ways in which society will respond to what will undoubtedly be a new rash of problem gamblers remain to be seen.
However, there are options available for those who are currently dealing with problem gambling.
If you struggle with problem gambling, you can contact the National Council on Problem Gambling at 1-800-522-4700. This is a confidential and free 24-hour hotline for problem gamblers.
There are also programs like Gamblers Anonymous, hotlines like 1-800-GAMBLER, and state-by-state networks of gambling support helplines available to help.