NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee has become the largest online-only sports betting market in the country since it became legalized five years ago. Reports of gambling addiction are also climbing, and state leaders are spending some of the sports betting tax revenue to help address the problem.

"In a lot of ways, they're suffering in silence. You're talking about their entire lives being uprooted. They're losing significant others, everything they've ever worked for."

Leonardo Martinez-Torres works to help Middle Tennesseans addicted to gambling regain control of their lives.

"For a lot of gamblers, it's not just about the money. There are certain needs on a deeper level being met," he said, adding that this addictive need became more accessible with online sports betting. "The majority of the population can gamble recreationally, meaning they can go gamble, they can lose a little bit of money, and it doesn't really impact their life negatively."

However, he said gambling addiction is becoming a public health issue worldwide.

"I think there's several factors that are playing into increased gambling in society. One of those is, culturally, it's much more acceptable to gamble these days. I think the accessibility is the highest that it's ever been," explained Martinez-Torres. "They could do it at home. They could get out of bed and start gambling. In between breaks at work, anywhere they can just gamble from their phone. All they have to do is pull up their phone, go onto the app, and they can place a bet right then and there. So accessibility is a huge factor in individuals increasing their gambling."

Anyone can call or text the TN REDLINE 24-7 for a free and confidential referral for gambling treatment services. For fiscal year 2023, there were 477 calls related to gambling, the next year saw 746 calls, and for fiscal year 2025, there were 659 calls, according to the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

"We've seen the average age of people coming in for treatment actually reduce so younger males are coming in more and more," explained Martinez-Torres.

The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council reported that in January this year, people in Tennessee wagered more than $500,000,000 in online sports betting.

"A lot of clients, when they come to the clinic, you could say they've hit rock bottom in several ways," said Martinez-Torres. "Oftentimes, they've impacted their closest relationships, whether it's family, their wife, their significant other. Oftentimes they've depleted their savings. They went into the retirement funds… completely cleared that out. They've taken out big loans to gamble, and now they're on the hook for that debt. And so they've reached a place where they realize they can't control it on their own."

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services gets a percentage of the revenue from the tax on proceeds of sports gaming in Tennessee. they contract with The Gambling Clinic through the University of Memphis for this work.

That funding went from $1,225,000 for FY23 to $4,378,400 in the most recent budget.

The Gambling Clinic has three locations in Tennessee and just opened a location in East Nashville about a year ago, and 40% of the clinic's clients are from Middle Tennessee.

"It really depends on the gambler themselves, because until they're ready, oftentimes they won't want to come in and you can tell them, hey, you really need help. But they may not see it that way. They may think their behavior is absolutely fine and they don't actually have a gambling problem," said Martinez-Torres. "There's a cost to come to the clinic, but I want to emphasize that we don't turn anybody away."

Gambling addiction signs include irritability, lying to cover up the issue, and chasing their losses.

"They'll keep going to try to win back what they lost, and oftentimes it keeps going under and under and under."

Martinez-Torres advised letting loved ones know about any gambling challenges because having a support system helps overcome the addiction.

"What gives me so much hope for individuals to overcome this issue is that I've seen it," he said. "What I have found is individuals that come in for treatment, that tap into their support network, whether that be their family, their significant other and friends, have an easier time in that process. Also, there are programs out there that can block you from accessing gambling sites."

The gambling clinic offers help in-person and through Telehealth. Just call 901-678-STOP or visit TheGamblingClinic.com and they will work to get an appointment scheduled quickly.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/special-reports/gambling-clinic/