Calls to Virginia gambling hotline spiked once sports betting started in January. Not only have calls more than doubled in the first four months of this year compared to last year, but 64% of the calls in March, April and May were from men. More than half of the calls, or 56%, involved sports betting and/or gambling machines.  Read more here.

The National Council on Problem Gambling said the situation with online betting needs to be addressed. “We’ve seen an increasingly wide expansion of online gambling during the pandemic, including sports betting, Lottery, and social gambling, as well as various methods of cashless payment,” the Council said in a statement. “We expect this to escalate as more state governments face budget shortfalls in the next two years. Protecting consumers who gamble, as well as their families, needs to be part of...

Online gambling has some features that increase the likelihood of developing a gambling problem or make an existing gambling problem worse. These features include:3 constant availability and ease of access that allow people to play for long periods without interruption the ability to play in isolation use of credit card and digital payments that make it easy to spend money highly interactive and immersive environments that may cause players to lose track of time and money It has been argued...

It IS Gambling Many of America’s casino operators and gambling regulators openly describe Daily Fantasy Sports as “gambling.” MGM Casinos Chairman Jim Murren recently said those who argue that daily fantasy games are not gambling are “absolutely, utterly wrong.” Murren added, “I don’t know how to run a football team, but I do know how to run a casino, and this is gambling.” Even the people who run online Daily Fantasy Sports sites privately admit they are running a gambling...

The COVID-19 pandemic is driving new patterns (and increasing established patterns) of substance use and compulsive behaviors. People who gamble regularly online are doing so just as often or more frequently during the coronavirus pandemic. Alcohol sales are up more than 60 percent and opioid overdoses have skyrocketed. Recent reports show that online gambling services have exploded in popularity, which could lead to a subsequent increase in gambling addiction. You don’t know when it will go from “just fun” to...

BELOIT, Wis. (WMTV) -The Ho-Chunk Nation’s Beloit Casino is taking another step forward after receiving approval from Governor Tony Evers. Evers announced Wednesday he concurred with the U.S. Department of Interior’s 2020 decision on taking 33-acres of land into trust to develop the casino. The land trust is part of a nearly 74-acre site, located just north of the Illinois border, that would be transformed into a casino-resort complex. Officials say it would also create more than 1,500 long-term jobs and more...

ATLANTA – Legislation to legalize online sports betting in Georgia gained momentum in the state Senate Thursday just as it appeared to get sidetracked in the Georgia House of Representatives. A Senate committee passed a constitutional amendment that would put sports betting on the statewide ballot next year for Georgia voters to decide. Senators decided to pursue the referendum route after the House postponed a floor vote on a bill aimed at legalizing sports betting without changing the state Constitution....

BLACK HAWK, Colo. (CBS4) – One of the hardest hit industries from the COVID-19 pandemic is hoping for a rebound this year with gaming in Colorado looking completely different in 2021. Sports betting has surpassed $1 billion in bets and soon table games will expand without bet limits. “The sports book being added, new table games being added, it’s a very exciting time in Colorado,” said Tim Morrissey, the General Manager of Saratoga Casino Black Hawk. “I think we have...

  Casino.org, January 29, 2021 Philip Conneller   Minnesota’s sports betting bill arrived at the legislature in Saint Paul Thursday, as had been widely anticipated. The bipartisan legislation would legalize sports books in the North Star State, initially in the land-based casinos and racetracks. Then it would eventually move online, but through those casinos only. The bill was introduced by State Sen. Karla Bigham (D-Cottage Grove) and State Rep. Pat Garofalo (R-Farmington). They told local ABC affiliate WDIO Thursday that...

Before the pandemic, Indian Country’s economy was on the rise – tribal nations collectively were the 13th largest employer in the United States, powered by steady growth of tribal government gaming revenue. In the past three decades, overall per capita income of Native people on reservations had increased 48%, from tragically low poverty rates. For tribes, a skilled and trained workforce is required to compete economically. For individuals, education is the gateway to financial stability and economic mobility. For the...