Maryland calls for more options for problem gambling treatment

The gambling industry in Maryland is on the rise… and so is problem gambling, but unlike other casino states, Maryland does not offer any free treatment programs.

Maryland’s five casinos—Hollywood Casino, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, Casino at Ocean Downs, Maryland Live, and Rocky Gap Casino Resort—took in just over $1b in revenue from lottery and casino gambling in the fiscal year ending June 30. The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission (MLGCC) Director Gordon Medenica expects to see bigger growth as MGM Resorts’ National Harbor casino is scheduled to open in the second half of 2016.

In August, Maryland casinos generated a total of $96.7m gaming revenue, up 20% or $16,128,889 year-on-year.

However, Michael Rosen, a recovering addict and one of the counselors at the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling at the University of Maryland, said problem gambling in the state “is absolutely getting worse.” In 2014, the state’s increasingly busy 1-800-GAMBLER help line received calls from 619 people seeking for help, up from 533 calls from the previous year.