Gambling addiction calls surge as young Floridians lose big on sports betting

Calls about online wagering have more than doubled to Florida’s problem gambling helpline since the legalization of sports betting in Florida in 2023.

The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling oversees the state’s around-the-clock helpline, 888-ADMIT-IT.

Last year, more than 2,400 Floridians sought help from the organization. Of those, 1,400 were calling for help with online gambling, making it the No. 1 reason for calls.

That’s a change from previous years, where electronic machines like slots were the biggest reason for hotline calls.

Last year, 73% of online gamblers identified sports betting as the primary problem, according to data given to the Tampa Bay Times from the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling.

The callers are getting younger. Data shows the number of calls it’s gotten from people under the age of 21 has jumped since sports betting was legalized.

The vast majority of callers asking for help with sports betting last year were male; nearly half were white, and nearly two-thirds were 30 or younger.

More than half cited financial difficulties as their reason for reaching out — including overspending due to gambling and a recent substantial gambling loss.

Almost half of those calling about sports betting reported having lost more than $25,000. Nearly one in four reported losing more than $100,000.

Florida is one of 40 states that have legalized sports gambling, as well as one of the many that offer it via smartphone apps. Unlike other states that allow multiple mobile operators, Florida permits only one mobile sportsbook: Hard Rock Bet, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The app has been available to Floridians since 2023, following legal challenges to the state’s decision to grant exclusive sportsbook rights to a single operator.

Hard Rock Bet lets people gamble on an array of sports, including baseball, jai alai and the Olympics.

A Hard Rock spokesperson noted in a statement that its products have tools that let players set limits that can time them out if they spend too long betting in one session or cap how much they can wager or deposit. Players can also self-ban themselves from the app.

The spokesperson also noted that the Seminole Tribe of Florida has made “significant financial contributions to support the state’s gambling helpline, compulsive gambling prevention, and treatment programs.”

While Hard Rock is the only legal sportsbook, predictive markets like Kalshi have allowed people to place bets on sports, as well.

Nearly a quarter of all sports gambling callers to the helpline said they were influenced by others to begin sports betting.

Local clinics are seeing problematic sports betting cases, too.

Alex Castañeda, a therapist at the practice It Begins Within, which has locations across Tampa Bay, has seen more gambling patients in the last year.

Those who are addicted can find themselves betting without control, he said, with their reasoning “extremely inhibited.”

“People are gambling significantly more money than they plan to when they open the app or when they visit the casino,” Castañeda said.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling’s helpline is 888-ADMIT-IT, and the organization offers help services through text messages and online chats.

This story was originally published February 25, 2026 at 10:23 AM.