A statewide telehealth service is changing the game for Ohioans with gambling addictions

Aubrey Price’s office is covered in posters illustrating therapeutic techniques. She’s a counselor at the Zepf Center, which houses one of the largest gambling treatment programs in Ohio.

When someone with a gambling problem comes to her office for the first time, she often starts by evaluating their behavior.

“This is the gambling screen that we utilize,” she said, pulling out a questionnaire. “One of the questions is, ‘Have you ever felt guilty about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble? Have you ever argued with people you live with over how you handle your money?’”

If someone answers yes to more than five questions like these, Price said they likely have a gambling disorder. Lately, those affirmative answers are becoming more common.

“Just in the past three months, we’ve seen more clients coming in for treatment than we have in six months in the past,” Price said. “It’s increasing. It’s doubling essentially.”

Now, those Ohioans struggling with disordered gambling have expanded options for help.

The rise of problem gambling in Ohio

In April, the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio soft launched the Ohio Gambling Telehealth Network — a virtual counseling option designed to be accessible to people struggling with disordered gambling all over the state.

According to the most recent Ohio Gambling Survey from 2022, that includes more than 250,000 Ohioans. And that’s likely an undercount.

After the state legalized sports betting two years ago, the state’s problem gambling hotline has received hundreds more calls every month.

“We’ve seen a large increase in the prevalence of individuals experiencing gambling related harm,” said Michael Buzzelli, the associate director of the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio.

But not everywhere has a physical location like the Zepf Center to help.

“Historically, there’s always been the thought of, ‘Well, there’s only four casinos, so if our county doesn’t have a casino, then people aren’t gambling. And if people aren’t gambling, they couldn’t possibly have a gambling problem, right? So we don’t need services for that,’” Buzzelli said.

He said this way of thinking has always been flawed: there’s lottery retailers all over the state.

But sports betting has made gambling more accessible. These days, people don’t have to leave the living room couch to cast a bet with a tap of their phone.

“If gambling is going to be available at your fingertips and it’s going to be that accessible, then treatment for gambling should be at your fingertips and that accessible as well,” Buzzelli said.

A new telehealth network for gambling help

The Ohio Gambling Telehealth Network allows anyone, anywhere in Ohio to schedule appointments for free with one of three clinicians.

“It is Ohio clinicians in Ohio treating Ohioans,” Buzzelli said. “So not only are they gambling treatment experts, but they know where Gamblers Anonymous meetings could be, wherever the individual physically lives. They know about all the other resources in Ohio.”

The virtual appointments start with the same type of screening Price uses at the Zepf Center. And just like those in-person sessions, they focus on mental and financial health since people with disordered gambling can lose a lot of money.

“You’re talking about tens, hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Buzzelli said. “And that’s where you really see the rollover into the family. Is it mortgages? Is it erasing a college tuition? The financial impacts are dire. And then that, of course, has an impact on an individual’s mental health.”

People with gambling disorders often experience stress, anxiety and depression.

“The biggie is gambling addiction has the highest suicide attempt rate of any addiction at 1 in 5,” Buzzelli said. “So 20% of individuals diagnosed with a gambling disorder may attempt suicide.”

But specialized treatment can help.

A success story

Marilyn Reed knows the positive impact of treatment firsthand. Her gambling addiction started slowly. When she once visited Vegas with her husband, she didn’t touch the flashy machines.

But after a casino opened up about an hour from her Toledo home, she decided to give them a try. Eventually, she couldn’t stay away.

Erin Gottsacker

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The Ohio Newsroom

“If I wasn’t at the casino, I was scratching tickets,” she said. “If I wasn’t scratching tickets, I was at the casino.”

It got to be such a problem that she wasn’t around a lot to care for her husband when he got sick with Parkinson’s, and her daughter lost trust in her.

“And I was still sneaking,” Reed said. “And she took my granddaughter away from me, and Christmas was coming and I was just a mess.”

That’s when she sought help at the Zepf Center.

“That was my first glimmer of light,” she said. “And I couldn’t get here fast enough for my appointments.”

A counselor there helped her break her gambling habits, find healthier pastimes and restore relationships.

These days, she’s no longer tempted by casino games or lottery tickets. She has something better to keep her busy.

“I have two great-grandchildren now and my granddaughter trusts me with them,” she said. “That is a very big deal to me.”

But she worries about the young people who are just starting to cast bets on ball games.

It can take years for that practice to become a problem, but if it ever does, she’s relieved everyone in the state will have an option for help, just like she did.

If you or someone you love is experiencing gambling addiction, call 1-800-589-9966 for the Ohio problem gambling helpline. Or call or text 988 for the suicide and crisis lifeline.