Michigan Hotline Data Reveals Sharp Rise in Online Gambling Problems Post-Legalization
Michigan hotline referrals for problem gambling held between 398 and 508 annually from FY2021-2025, yet the internet gambling share rose from 13% to 50%. Online self-exclusions jumped from 78 to 1,644. Experts link the trend to legalization and mobile access, but data interpretation is clouded by illegal options and prediction markets.
SCCG Take — The steady rise in online-specific harms signals that mobile convenience changes usage patterns in ways brick-and-mortar rules do not address. Regulators must refine data collection to separate legalization effects from external variables.
Michigan has recorded a steady climb in the share of problem gambling treatment referrals tied to internet gaming and online sports betting since the state legalized those activities. In fiscal year 2021, the problem gambling hotline referred 398 individuals for treatment, with about 13% citing online options. That share increased to 24% in fiscal year 2022, 38% in 2023, 51% in 2024, and 50% in 2025, even as total referrals varied from a high of 508 in 2022 to 432 in 2025.
Self-exclusions from the state’s Responsible Gaming Database, created specifically for online gaming, followed a similar upward trajectory. The Michigan Gaming Control Board reported 78 self-exclusions in 2021, rising to 343 by the end of 2022, 691 by the end of 2023, 1,156 in December 2024, and 1,644 by the end of 2025.
Expert Views on Legalization and Access
As reported by GamblingNews, experts attribute much of the increase to legalization itself. Angela Smith-Butterwick, director of the substance use, gambling and epidemiology division at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, stated that online platforms expand access for younger people who avoid brick-and-mortar casinos. The convenience of smartphone-based gambling lowers barriers to entry, she added. The state launched the “Don’t Bet on Your Future” educational campaign earlier this year to inform teens of gambling risks.
Joe Maloney, president of the Sports Betting Alliance, noted that legalization requires operators to promote responsible gambling resources, which may encourage more people to seek help. Yet Marlene Warner, interim executive director of the Michigan Association on Problem Gambling, cautioned that the data and emerging trends can be difficult to interpret in a rapidly evolving online gambling landscape. Changes in the legalized gambling market, the continued availability of illegal gambling options, and the emergence of prediction markets all make it challenging to assess trends with certainty.
Where Interpretation Risks Remain
The counterargument embedded in Warner’s assessment highlights a core limitation: the hotline data relies on voluntary disclosure or prompted details from callers, collected by a third-party provider. Without clearer segmentation, it remains hard to isolate legalization’s precise role from broader market shifts. This uncertainty carries direct implications for how regulators and operators calibrate responsible gaming programs going forward, particularly as online participation scales.
Reporting: GamblingNews
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
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