Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill Friday that officially recognizes gambling disorder as an addiction in Illinois.
The legislation, Senate Bill 2749, updates the state’s existing Substance Use Disorder Act to codify gambling addiction under the same framework as alcohol and drug use disorders, allowing the Illinois Department of Human Services’ behavioral health division to offer programs and support to compulsive gamblers and affected families.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Lake Forest, said recognizing the disorder under the law would make it easier for the state to provide resources for those struggling with gambling addiction.
“We see people who have alcohol dependencies, people who have drug addictions. I think we recognize those as disorders, and it’s in statute, and we are providing different granting mechanisms, different ways to help those people across the state,” Morrison said.
