KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – This past Tuesday, Missourians legalized sports betting in the “Show Me” State by a razor-thin margin.
“Yes” received 50.1% of the vote, while “No” earned 49.9% out of nearly three million votes cast. In fact, the winning margin was a little more than 4,000 votes.
Sports betting was an issue that divided Missouri voters for the entire election season, in part because of some of the negative problems associated with gambling. One local gambling disorder specialist said legalized sports betting could lead to bad consequences for some.
“I think it opens the door for a lot of people to develop a gambling problem without them even knowing it,” said Jordyn Hanson, a Certified Gambling Disorder Counselor at University Health. When someone calls 1-888-BETS-OFF locally, it goes directly to her phone at UH.
“In Missouri specifically, the rate of suicide for people with a gambling disorder is 27% will attempt suicide,” Hanson said.
While more than a quarter of those with a diagnosed gambling problem will attempt suicide, Hanson says almost half think about taking their own life.
“About 49.2% of individuals with a gambling disorder experience suicidal ideation,” Hanson said. “It’s a very alarming number, a very alarming number.”
According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, an estimated 2.5 million people are thought to have a severe gambling problem each year. If you are one of them – and want help – Hanson says to call 1-888-BETS-OFF.
“They’ll come in and I’ll do an intake assessment with them,” Hanson said. “That is funded by the Department of Mental Health, so all of their services of gambling in the state of Missouri will be paid for. They don’t have to pay for anything if they meet criteria for treatment.”
Hanson says sports gambling addiction typically affects men ages 25-35 who are single and have a good income. Treatment for gambling is outpatient, but if other services are needed, patients could be transferred to in-patient.
“Gambling addiction is very tricky because of the fact that it’s used for entertainment,” Hanson said. “People do it because it’s fun. That makes it very hard to be considered a problem.”
Hanson said most people come to see her after a big financial loss or after their family relationships become severely impacted.
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