The Problem Gambling Helpline is a resource for Ohio residents who are seeking assistance with problem gambling. The Helpline is maintained by the United Way of Greater Cleveland 2-1-1. Callers to the Helpline speak to Navigation Specialists who provide referrals to local resources such as Gamblers Anonymous meetings or professional counseling providers. 

In 2016 the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline took 5,897 calls and chats. Of those there were 1,555 clients who were seeking assistance with problem gambling. As most clients are provided with multiple resources, those 1,555 clients were given a total of 3,025 referrals.

Clients of the helpline are asked to provide some demographic and geographical information to better assist Navigation Specialists in finding relevant resources. We are also able to utilize this data to provide some analysis and visualization.

This graph shows the age group and gender of Helpline clients. Here we can see that the two largest demographic groups are Males ages 18-34 and Females ages 50-64.

 

 

This graph shows the time of day that the different demographic groups contact the Helpline.

This map shows the location of the client by zip code – the larger the colored circle, the more clients originating from that zip code.  Much of the state is represented, but clients are mainly located in the population centers of Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, and Youngstown.

Finally, we can see a breakdown of the type of resources provided to Helpline clients.  Almost half of all referrals were for professional counseling while support groups and information on how to self-exclude from gambling establishments comprised most of the rest.