Florida Gambling Helpline Boss Jailed for $1.4M Theft, ADHD Meds Blamed

The director of a Florida gambling addiction helpline has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for stealing $1.4 million from a former employer to fund a prodigious gambling habit.

Philip Lee Sullivan, 43, has since entered recovery and dedicated himself to helping others with gambling problems, but his past caught up with him Friday (Oct. 16) in a Bay County courtroom.

Sullivan, formerly the chief financial officer at Panama City property management company Royal American, pleaded no contest to six felony charges and was sentenced to 118½ months in state prison by Bay County Judge Tim Register.

He was arrested in March 2024 after an internal audit at Royal American uncovered numerous unauthorized transactions on a company-issued credit card.

Prosecutors said Sullivan used his position to steal $1.4 million over just 11 months.

Gambling Debts to Gambling Helpline

In March 2025, he became helpline director for the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, a nonprofit that operates the state’s 888-ADMIT-IT problem gambling service.

In a podcast interview published by ODAAT Gambling Awareness and released just three days before sentencing, he described how his addiction had wiped out his savings and driven him into debt.

Sullivan said he continued gambling in the desperate hope of winning enough money to repay what he had taken.

During his recovery, he helped hundreds of people struggling with gambling addiction through his work at the helpline, according to the interview.

The father of two had also been publicly discussing his recovery and efforts to rebuild his family life while awaiting sentencing.

Adderall Blamed for Addiction

At Friday’s hearing, Sullivan’s family and defense attorneys argued that his gambling addiction had been exacerbated by prescription Adderall, a medication commonly used to treat ADHD.

His wife, Mallory, testified that she had watched his behavior change after he began taking the medication.

“I firmly believe … that if it weren’t for this medication, he would not have done that,” she told the court, according to WMBB.

But prosecutors argued Sullivan had deliberately planned the thefts and attempted to conceal them.

Royal American’s controller, Shannon Scribner, testified that Sullivan had exploited the company’s financial controls, including using corporate credit cards to purchase gift cards and cash cards online.

She told the court he had not simply taken advantage of an opportunity but had deliberately manipulated safeguards designed to prevent fraud.

Sullivan was ordered to begin serving his sentence immediately. He has 30 days to appeal.