The District of Columbia Tuesday became the first legal U.S. sports betting jurisdiction to eliminate existing problem gambling funding when the DC Council’s Committee of the Whole unanimously voted to approve the FY 2024 budget, which removes the $200,000 annual allocation to the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) for preventing, treating, and researching gambling addiction.
Despite the funding being included in the District’s sports betting law, which passed in 2019, the Dept. of Behavioral Health told the DC Council earlier this year that it had not spent previous funds and did not need them going forward.
Responsible and problem gambling advocates fear that the elimination of the funding, which they have fought for in virtually every legal U.S. jurisdiction, could have a domino effect. The timing of the DC Council’s decision comes as states have been pumping up their commitment to responsible gambling through additional funding, stricter advertising guidelines, and fines to operators for marketing to those at risk or under the legal wagering age.
“What an incredibly disheartening and maddening day for the people of D.C.,” problem and responsible gambling advocate Brianne Doura-Schawohl told . “Problem gambling does not discriminate, and individuals who are currently struggling or will struggle in the future deserve support from a trained professional. In their decision to repeal funding for vital health services, D.C. leaves thousands of people without help or hope.”