CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – As a problem gambling counselor at the Area Substance Abuse Council, Angie Harbour said her schedule is packed helping people across seven counties in Eastern Iowa.

“There is a greater need now than there has ever been for gambling treatment,” Harbour said.

It’s not just the 23 casinos in the state, it’s how everyone with a smart phone can game from anywhere.

“We also now have online gambling, online social casinos and actual casinos,” Harbour said. “There are just so many different forms of gambling if you think of like cryptocurrency, the buying and selling of cryptocurrency.”

She said there was also a jump in problem gambling in 2020 after sports betting became legal in Iowa.

As of 2023, more than 8,700 Iowans have admitted they have a gambling problem and are banned from all types of state-sanctioned gambling.

Harbour expects a casino in Cedar Rapids to drive up those numbers… eventually.

“Whenever availability or accessibility to anything that has the potential to become addictive increases, our numbers are going to kind of follow suit,” Harbour said. “And it might not be immediately. Problems usually don’t develop right away.”

Data from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services shows access to gambling doesn’t always mean more treatment. In 2022, over 1,000 people reached out for help, but about 300 received treatment.

“The biggest barrier to individuals getting treatment is the stigma and the shame,” Harbour said.

Even when people choose to seek treatment, insurance doesn’t always cover gambling addiction.

The hotline to get support for problem gambling is 1-800-BETS OFF.

Copyright 2025 KCRG. All rights reserved.