Arkansas Problem Gambling Council Seeks Increased Funding as Calls for Help Surge

The Arkansas Problem Gambling Council of Little Rock said it will seek more money to help those with gambling problems, as the number of calls it receives continues to climb.

This year, the number of calls to the nonprofit hotline, 1-800-Gambler, is expected to be up 5% from last year’s total of about 7,000 calls, said Vena Schexnayder, founder of the organization. The nearly 7,000 calls the APGC received in 2023 was an increase of 22% from 2022.

“We are growing as the need has grown,” she said.

Schexnayder said she will ask for more money to provide services, which she hopes will eventually include an inpatient treatment facility for problem gamblers in Arkansas.

The APGC receives $200,000 annually from revenue generated by the three casinos in Arkansas: Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff and Southland Casino Hotel in West Memphis.

But under the amendment that legalized the casinos, the $200,000 is the minimum amount the Arkansas Racing Commission should provide for compulsive gambling disorder treatment and educational programs.

Schexnayder said wants to increase the funds to the APGC, “now that there’s technically a casino in everyone’s pocket with the sports betting.”

In 2023, more than $8 billion was wagered in Arkansas casinos and through their online sports betting apps, according to numbers provided by the Racing Commission. The total amount won by the casinos was $686.6 million.

Through the first nine months of this year, $6.1 billion has been wagered, with $531 million won by the casinos.

“I do believe that the need is there, and the numbers are coming in to support that as well,” Schexnayder said.

She said that she is gathering information about the services that the APGC offered and will seek the increased funds. “We’re looking at different options right now to see where that would actually come from, but I would hope that we could start with the [Arkansas Department of Finance & Administration] and the Racing Commission, because that’s where the Amendment 100 originated from,” she said. In 2018, Arkansans approved amending the state Constitution to allow the casinos.

The APGC’s funding covers the cost of treatment, and a portion goes toward education and awareness campaigns.

It recently added River Valley Medical Wellness, which has offices in Hot Springs and Russellville, and Arkansas Mobile Opioid Recovery, called ARMOR, as treatment subcontractors. ARMOR provides screenings for problem gambling services, Schexnayder said.

The APGC also subcontracts treatment with Arisa Health Inc. of Springdale for the West Memphis area and northwest Arkansas, and Exodus.Life of Pine Bluff.

Of the calls that the APGC received last year, about 1,100 of the callers received some level of care. About 150 of those people who needed treatment went to an inpatient treatment facility in Louisiana, at a cost of $5,000 a month, which the APGC doesn’t cover. Louisiana, however, pays for its residents who need inpatient treatment, Schexnayder said.

The majority of calls the APGC receives are from parents and grandparents who are concerned about online gaming.

College students rarely call for help. “That’s why … we are going to lean more on looking at some prevention, education and awareness for next year specifically within the college school setting,” Schexnayder said.

The APGC is neutral when it comes to gambling or the industry. “We want people to be responsible,” she said.