Birches Health featured in The Guardian on increasing gambling resources

Birches Health founder and CEO Elliott Rapaport was interviewed by The Guardian for a new story about advocates calling for additional support to combat problem gambling, in particular as prediction markets increase access to financial trading products nationwide.

In the article, author Anna Betts highlighted that public health resources across the U.S. are not keeping pace with the rapid growth of online gambling across the country. Betts points out that "there is currently no dedicated federal funding stream for gambling addiction prevention or treatment. And public funding in states where gambling remains illegal is also often limited or nonexistent. In Utah, for example – home to some of the strongest anti-gambling laws in the US – there are no federal or state-funded resources dedicated to problem gambling."

Rapaport said any activity “combines money, uncertainty and risk” can lead to “compulsive behaviors” for some users, adding: “It’s very important to have the state social infrastructure, because otherwise people end up getting hurt.”

Rapaport said Birches has seen “increased outreach” from people in states where gambling is not technically legal “because you don’t have the state safety net, and the state access to care there.”

To read the full story in The Guardian, click here.