“Thing you might have a gambling problem?” For some in Massachusetts the answer was yes, but not to the kind of problem the gambling hotline is meant to serve.
The state’s problem gambling helpline saw a big jump in calls in the months after Massachusetts launched legal sports betting last year, but a public health official said Wednesday that most of that increase was due to calls from bettors mistakenly thinking they could get technical help with their betting apps.
The Department of Public Health said the (800) 327-5050 helpline received 3,050 calls in fiscal year 2023, which included the first five months of legal betting. That’s an increase of 1,672 calls, or 121 percent, over the 1,378 calls received in fiscal 2022.
