![SEAN METCALF](https://media2.sevendaysvt.com/sevendaysvt/imager/u/blog/41288702/legislature1-1.jpg)
- Sean Metcalf
Six months after Vermont legalized sports betting, the state has a new website that is intended to help people who have developed gambling problems.
Eight people are currently on the list, according to Charles Martin, a spokesperson for the Department of Liquor and Lottery, up from two in March.
“I think any state that's going to offer a lawful [sports-betting] market should have services like this,” Martin told Seven Days. “I don't know that you can do one without the other, so I think it's essential.”
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It's unclear how many Vermonters are now considered problem gamblers. When online sports betting launched in January, some 52,000 people used one — or more — of the three virtual gambling services offered in Vermont. By the end of May, there were about 27,700 active users in the state, according to Department of Liquor and Lottery data. Big sporting events, such as the Super Bowl in February and the March Madness college basketball tournament, typically draw more bets.
Related Online Sports Betting in Vermont Will Start in January
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State law appropriated $250,000 for the Department of Mental Health to use to establish and administer problem gambling resources; the website is a part of that. The department also plans to use the money to create and launch media campaigns promoting the gambling helpline and to build a statewide team of clinicians who can treat people with gambling-related problems.
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