Report shows 84% of Arizonans placed bets, nearly 20% fall into the problem gambling category

The Arizona Division of Problem Gambling says roughly the same number of Arizonans placed bets in the past year, compared to its last report three years ago — that number was 84%. But nearly a fifth of state residents fell within the category of problem gambling.

For more on this new report from the state, The Show spoke with Elise Mikkelsen, director of the Division of Problem Gambling.

Transcript

MARK BRODIE: Elise, what stands out to you from this study?

ELISE MIKKELSEN: I think it’s important to note that gambling participation in general remains stable. Frequency did increase, which was interesting, but overall, participation was relayed as staying the same as when we did the same survey back in 2023.

MARK BRODIE: So does that mean, then, that roughly the same number of people are placing bets, but maybe they’re doing it more often?

ELISE MIKKELSEN: That’s what these folks reported. So it does seem that frequency, it shows that frequency increased. There was an increase from 25% to 30%. So it was the frequency that increased, but overall the same number of people seem to be gambling.

MARK BRODIE: Did anything that you found surprise you?

ELISE MIKKELSEN: I was very happily surprised to hear that our awareness campaigns were being effective. The awareness of our problem gambling helpline, 1-800-NEXT-STEP, increased substantially since fiscal year ’22-’23. We do a lot of outreach efforts regarding all of our different programs, so it was really nice to see that that awareness increased.

MARK BRODIE: What do you make of the fact that nearly 20% of adults in the state have exhibited signs of problem gambling? To an outsider anyway, that seems like an awfully high number.

ELISE MIKKELSEN: Yes, I understand that seems like a high number. That’s what we see nationally, that same number, so I guess it isn’t as surprising to me. With that being said, I do think that that’s an important number to take a look at. It’s something that we in Arizona are very concerned about and watching very closely.

That’s why we are planning to continue to reiterate these surveys every three years. We want to keep close tabs on things. We want to make sure that our resources are out there for folks to identify, that they’re able to utilize them. We also want to keep a finger on the pulse of what people are doing in their gambling behavior. We know that gambling is expanding — not only in Arizona, but nationwide — and so we want to watch closely, make sure that we have everything in place to address anyone that might have concerns.

MARK BRODIE: Are you finding that people are tending to place bets like in casinos, or are they using apps, or are they — how are they doing it, do we know?

Drew Allen

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Arizona Department of Gaming

ELISE MIKKELSEN: We do see gambling taking place in all those different arenas. With that being said, since the legalization of sports betting and sports wagering, we do see the biggest increase in sports wagering. So participation in sports wagering increased by 22% compared to our previous survey three years ago. Cryptocurrency-related activities increased by about 21%, and 22% of Arizonans reported online or app-based sports wagering overall.

MARK BRODIE: How much of that do you think is due to the fact that, at least if you’re betting on sports and you’re doing it through one of the apps, it’s pretty easy to do? You don’t have to go anywhere. You can do it directly from your phone.

ELISE MIKKELSEN: Absolutely. You can’t deny that accessibility plays into those numbers. It is just so much more accessible because you have that phone with you all the time. And so it is very much more accessible than, say, driving to a casino or some other modality like that.

MARK BRODIE: Yeah. Did this report take into account people who use prediction markets like Kalshi or Polymarket?

ELISE MIKKELSEN: We didn’t do thorough research on prediction markets, but we did ask about prediction markets and esports betting and all those different things to see if there was an overall awareness, and I would say yes, that we’re definitely seeing the emergence of these newer forms of gambling activities are taking over the market.

MARK BRODIE: You mentioned that you’ve been doing a lot of outreach in terms of the problem gambling programs here. I’m wondering how secure the funding is for those programs to make sure that they continue to be there as we see the numbers what they are.

ELISE MIKKELSEN: Well, one of the great things about Arizona and the fact that the Division of Problem Gambling falls within the Arizona Department of Gaming is that our funding is very secure. I only know of one other state that does it similarly, where we fall under the regulatory body.

So the prominence of our funding comes from casino revenue, and so we see revenues increasing quarter after quarter, and so we are very secure in that funding. We also receive $300,000 from the Arizona Lottery, and then there’s provisions in place moving forward to include some sports wagering moneys as well.

MARK BRODIE: Are you looking at evolving the kinds of services the state offers to help folks as the way that they are gambling or the frequency with which they’re gambling is changing?

ELISE MIKKELSEN: Well, we have some other great news. Our cap was lifted on our budget, so we are looking at additional funds coming to fruition this next fiscal year, so we are definitely looking at using those funds to expand our program.

We have five people within our program here in the Division of Problem Gambling, and we work really hard to bring in new programs. We take a look at the research, we do exhaustive investigations into what’s working and what’s not working, and we’re definitely interested in closely monitoring gambling behavior, and most importantly, how we can address that behavior.

So we subsidize treatment services here in Arizona. Last year it was over $1,600,000 worth, and that’s for people both experiencing problem gambling themselves, as well as what we call persons affected — and that’s any family member, loved one that may be affected by another person’s gambling.

We also offer prevention and outreach services. We can go into the community, do presentations, educate people about problem gambling. We have lots of different resources here, and we’re looking forward to expanding them.

MARK BRODIE: Is there an evolution in thinking about the best ways to help people who have a problem with gambling?

ELISE MIKKELSEN: There’s always evolution, there’s always new best practices being put in place. What we know is that these intensive therapies really do work. We’re also additionally adding peer support services, which is a lower level of intervention. Not all people need that intense seeing a treatment provider once a week service.

So we’ve added peer support services. Peer support services can be really molded to a person’s needs. You’re working with peers, so people who have lived experience in the gambling arena, problem gambling arena to be more specific. So folks are really plugged in, they’ve been there, they can relate to people who are looking for assistance. So we’re really excited to bring on that tailored form of intervention.

MARK BRODIE: All right, that is Elise Mikkelsen, director of the Division of Problem Gambling within the Arizona Department of Gaming. Elise, thanks so much, I appreciate it.

ELISE MIKKELSEN: Thank you, Mark.