It’s encouraging to see that when it comes to seeking help for out-of-control gambling, a sizable number of Massachusetts residents can handle the truth.

The number of people who have voluntarily joined a program to control problem-gambling habits has increased to new highs in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

The statewide voluntary self-exclusion program (VSE) allows Bay State residents to opt out of casino gambling, Sports Wagering or both for a set amount of time. Individuals in the program can’t enter gambling areas, must forfeit or suspend rewards points, and are automatically removed from marketing lists.

Currently, 1,430 Massachusetts residents take part in the program, according to data presented to the Gaming Commission last week.

Of those, 1,328 voluntarily opted out of gambling at casinos, and 102 removed themselves from betting on sports.

It’s interesting to note that of the 102 enrollees in self-exclusion from Sports Betting, 92 were also in the casino gambling program.

Only 10 people have opted out of just sports betting.

Of those 10, all are white, and nine out of 10 are men. Men outnumber women in all of the VSE programs, while whites comprise two-thirds of those enrolled in the opt-out program.

“While the majority of the folks are white, we were happy to see that there are other ethnic groups — African Americans (10%) and Asian Americans (17%) — that are also VSEing,” said VSE program manager Long Banh.

Those enrolling for sports betting are also trending younger than individuals who remove themselves from casinos. Most people in the sports wagering program are 25 to 44, versus an age range of 25 to 64 for casino opt-outs.

April’s data — the latest available — have the number casino gambling opt-outs approaching the record highs of last summer, with the added sports wagering enrollments.

Sports betting became legal in the state in January 2023, beginning with wagering at the state’s two casinos and slots parlor.

The number of people opting in has been steadily increasing since casinos reopened in July 2020 after initial COVID shutdowns.

Re-enrollments also have followed a general trend upwards since the VSE program first launched in June 2015. It reached its highest levels around February of this year, but tapered off in the April numbers, with currently 493 people reinstated into the program.

Chelsea Turner, chief operations officer of the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health, said it’s expected that the VSE program will finish the year with a year-over-year increase of 50 or more people.

In March, Turner said since the launch of sports betting, the number of people calling her office’s problem-gambling health line and opting in to voluntary self-exclusions from betting has more than doubled.

She said the enrolling-remotely option has been very popular, especially since sports wagering became legal online in March.

“I think it’s a testament to our team for developing the remote option, and also getting ahead on live chat way before sports betting was even launched,” Turner said.

Turner also discussed other harm mitigation strategies relative to sports wagering.

“We’re finding that sports bettors are more similar to poker and parimutuel (horse-racing) players than casino players. What that means is they consider themselves more informed and more skilled, more strategic,” she said.

“And in order for us to talk to them, we know that we need to meet them where they’re at. So, by us becoming experts on sports betting, it helps to establish a nice rapport with them,” she said.

So, what do all these numbers tell us about the state of the state-controlled gambling industry?

As it relates to online sports wagering, it’s probably too soon to tell if its in-house problem-gambling protections will have the desired effect.

For example, credit cards can’t be used to make a mobile sports bet. That means you’ll likely need a debit card or bank routing number to set up mobile wagering accounts.

That’s intended to keep problem gamblers from getting deep in debt.

Licensed mobile apps and digital platforms must also “prominently display” information for a problem-gambling hotline, which will be overseen by the state Department of Public Health.

Licensed sports betting operators also must submit annual problem gaming plans to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, and outline how they intend to identify patrons with “suspected or known problem-gaming behavior,” help those patrons connect to resources, and ensure minors and people on the self-excluded wagering list do not participate in betting.

That self-excluded wagering list will be kept private and only shared with operators, who must ban those individuals from placing bets on online platforms.

As MCGH’s Turner indicated, sports bettors consider themselves more sophisticated and analytical than the more emotion-driven casino players.

Perhaps that accounts for the low opt-numbers for sports betting, though more likely it’s just the small sample evaluated in the April data that only covered less than two months of online sports wagering.

But the online sports betting crowd better not let hubris prevent them from pulling themselves out of the wagering game if things get out of hand.