Virginia and Sheridan County, Wyoming are two recent examples of state and local governments that are allocating funds for problem gambling treatment and services.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed Senate Bill 836, which establishes the Virginia Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Advisory Committee, effective July 1. State Senator Bryce Reeves, the bill’s sponsor, said the legislation will help prevent gambling addiction and provide resources to individuals struggling with gambling addiction.
Reeves cited the 2021 VA Youth Survey, which indicated nearly 25 percent of high schoolers in the state had gambled within the past year and nearly two-thirds of Virginians age 18-25 had gambled within the past month. Reeves added the Virginia Problem Gambling Hotline has experienced an increase of 143 percent in call volume in the past few years.
In a statement, Reeves said, “I greatly appreciate Governor Youngkin’s support in this endeavor. As a father, it pains me to see how our youth have been affected by gambling and all the ills that come with it. I look forward to the committee’s establishment this July and the progress they will make in ensuring Virginians are given the knowledge, tools and abilities to prevent and overcome gambling addiction.”
In 2021, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed Wyoming Statute 9-24-104, which authorizes the Wyoming Gaming Commission to give the state Department of Health $300,000 a year to distribute to “county health programs to prevent and treat problematic gambling behavior.” The funding was added as an amendment to a larger bill legalizing sports betting, which launched in Wyoming on September 1, 2021.
Sheridan County will receive $33,000 annually from the funds. Sheridan County Administrative Director Renee’ Obermueller said Sheridan County Prevention will develop a plan for prevention and treatment using the funds. She added the statute does not provide guidelines or rules. “If anything, it can be just a media campaign just to remind people that there are programs out there,” she said.
