Connecticut’s growing online gambling habit

LAKEVILLE — These days, some sports fans are invested in more ways than one.

Sports gambling became legal in the United States with a Supreme Court decision on May 14, 2018. The decision overturned the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, which restricted sports betting to a handful of locations, primarily the state of Nevada and Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In the seven years since, online sports gambling has exploded. Gambling of all kinds has increased significantly.

And this phenomenon is causing problems for a lot of people.

It took a few years for Connecticut to catch up, but online gambling was legalized in the state in 2021.

Kaitlin Brown isthe Senior Director of Programs and Services at the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, or CCPG, a nonprofit organization based in Hartford.

She said the preferred termis “problem gambling,” rather than “gambling addiction” or “gambling disorder,” which are clinical terms with precise definitions. “Problem gambling” is a convenient term and covers a lot of ground.

She was asked if problem gambling is a big problem.

The answer was unequivocal.

“Yes, it’s a big problem, and it’s growing.”

Brown said that some 1.8% of the population of Connecticut meets the clinical definition of an addiction or disorder. That’s roughly 66,150 people — assuming a state population of about 3,675,000, per the 2020 census.

Some 3% to 4% of Connecticut residents have experienced gambling harm, Brown continued. That’s between 110,250 and 147,000 people.

Brown said there is a lot of overlap between screening for and treating problem gambling and addiction to alcohol and drugs.

Someone having problems with gambling will likely be preoccupied with gambling, just as alcoholics and addicts are preoccupied with maintaining their supply.

Brown said problem gamblers will lie about what they’re doing, try to hide their finances, and will continue gambling despite experiencing negative consequences.

“Sometimes they’re using gambling as a form of self-medication.”

Jamie Calvano, Senior Director of Quality and Compliance at the McCall Behavioral Health Network based in Torrington, said part of her job at the moment is using a state grant to train staffers in how to work with problem gamblers — because it keeps coming up.

She said since the advent of online gambling in Connecticut in 2021, the gamblers have gotten a lot younger.

“We’re seeing a lot of college students.”

Michelle Feuerbach is the Program Manager of Outpatient Services at Mountainside Treatment Center’s North Canaan campus.

She confirmed the increase in younger gamblers.

“Definitely younger males, often former athletes,” she said. “Gambling makes them feel included.”

Mountainside treats problem gambling when it is a co-occuring disorder along with substance abuse because the facility is not licensed to treat gambling as a standalone disorder, she said.

So when she or another clinician discusses gambling with a client, “I want to know what it does for them.”

Feuerbach broke down different categories of gamblers.

Sports gamblers feel a connection with the games and enjoy the competitive aspect of sports betting.

Action gamblers are thrill-seekers, she said. Casinos attract action gamblers, but it could take any form, such as scratch-off lottery tickets.

Escape gamblers are often women, “typically later in life.”

And there are gamblers who concentrate on the various state lottery games.

Brian Hatch is the Community Engagement Manager for the CCPG, and he is a recovering gambler.

He said he started gambling as a child, “playing poker with gramps” for small amounts of money.

By high school he was betting on whatever was handy.

And in his freshman year of college he spent more time at the casino playing blackjack than in class. The school asked him to leave.

He struggled for several years, putting together multi-year periods without gambling, only to relapse.

His last bet was in July of 2014.

Now he works for the CCPG and hosts a podcast: “ALL IN: The Addicted Gambler’s Podcast.”

One thing stands out about Hatch and his story.

He does not have a co-occurring substance abuse problem.

“I mean, I drank a little, but for me gambling was always the thing.”

Hatch said that while he finds total abstinence from gambling to be the key to his recovery, he is open to utilizing the concept of “harm reduction” with struggling gamblers.

In the substance abuse arena, harm reduction includes tactics such as providing clean hypodermic needles for intravenous drug users, or providing Narcan and training in its use for addicts or their friends or family.

In the gambling context, a gambler going to a physical gambling location such as a casino can bring a set amount of cash and no more. When the cash is gone, it’s time to go.

“Losing $100 isn’t great, but it’s better than losing $500.”

Feuerbach agreed, adding that in Connecticut, the state Department of Consumer Protection offers a “Voluntary Self-Exclusion” program that cuts the gambler off from the online betting operations Draftkings, FanDuel, and PlaySugarHouse, and the retail sports betting outlets Winners and Bobby V’s.

The two Connecticut casinos, Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, also offer Voluntary Self-Exclusion programs for their physical locations in Connecticut. To exclude from physical casino gaming, each casino requires individuals to complete and return a form.

Hatch said as he gambled, he had “a sense that my life was about to change, over and over.”

“It was the anticipation, not the winning.”

This observation squares with Feuerbach’s experience.

“It’s not even about the money,” she said.

“What they are trying to get out of it is usually a feeling.”