Florida gambling helpline director sentenced to prison for embezzlement

Philip Lee Sullivan, 43, has been sentenced to 118.5 months in the Florida Department of Corrections for embezzling funds to support a gambling addiction. Sullivan, the former director of the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling’s ‘888-ADMIT-IT’ helpline, pleaded guilty to six felony charges in Bay County.

The stolen funds, totaling approximately $1.4 million, were taken from his former employer, Panama City-based property management company Royal American, where he served as chief financial officer. An internal audit in March 2024 revealed unauthorized transactions on a company credit card used to purchase gift cards and cash cards online. These thefts occurred over an 11-month period starting in April 2023.

Notably, Sullivan joined the state’s problem gambling helpline in March 2025 while the criminal investigation into his previous employment was still pending. In a podcast interview released shortly before his sentencing, Sullivan admitted that his addiction had destroyed his savings and left him in significant debt. In addition to his prison term, a judge ordered Sullivan to pay nearly $1.5 million in restitution to Royal American.