The Vermont Department of Mental Health is taking proactive steps to address problem gambling.
On Tuesday, the department launched a responsible gambling website to provide residents with resources to prevent and treat sports betting and other gambling addictions. The website aims to support the estimated 11,600 Vermonters with a gambling disorder.
Dr. Kelley Klein, the Medical Director of the Department of Mental Health, said:
We needed more resources. We already had lottery and scratch-offs, which some people become addicted to. But we anticipated a rise in individuals at risk for problem gambling or gambling addiction with the introduction of online sports betting.
The new website offers Vermonters 24-hour access to a live chat and a toll-free helpline, as well as community-based resources like Gamblers Anonymous. It also allows individuals to add themselves to a gambling self-exclusion list for periods ranging from one year to a lifetime.
With Vermont’s sports betting market maturing, the department is providing responsible gambling resources.
