Groups call attention to problem gambling

A cohort of national and state organizations is calling attention to the dangers of problem gambling.

Last month, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and mayors throughout the state signed proclamations declaring March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month.

The annual month-long awareness campaign was started more that a decade ago by the Washington, D.C.-based National Council on Problem Gambling.

David Geier, executive director of the Nebraska Commission on Problem Gambling, said the campaign is intended to bring greater awareness in the general public of the disorder of problem addictive gambling – not just for the month, but throughout the year.

“Gov. Ricketts issued a proclamation, the Legislature issued a resolution – these announcements have been made – but it’s got to be part of an overall sustained long-term program,” he said. “That’s really where we come in. We’re trying to increase the level of awareness and understanding on a more permanent basis than just one event or one month.”

While it’s hard to precisely measure the prevalence of problem gambling, Geier said the general consensus is 1-3 percent of the adult population has the disorder to some degree.

“It’s a pretty wide range,” he said. “It you look in Nebraska, you could be talking about somewhere between 15,000 to 50,000 people. We just don’t know, and there’s no easy way to find it out.”

The Nebraska Commission on Problem Gambling provides assistance to individuals who are struggling with gambling addiction.

“What we have to do is just wait for people to come to us,” Geier said. “Because they’re in trouble and needing help, and if you do it that way, then you get a fairly small number in comparison.”

The commission is compiling statistics from participants in its programs.

“We ask those people for a lot of information, and we’re accumulating that and studying that so that we can figure out what really is going on in Nebraska,” he said. “And that’s among this population that has gotten to the point where this disorder is really hurting them in one way or another and they’re coming for help.”

According to Geier, the biggest proportion of people who have gambling disorder problems are casino and Keno gamblers.

“We’re seeing more and more of the online gambling, but so far that really isn’t showing up in our statistics,” he said.

Government-promoted lotteries – such as the Nebraska and big jackpot lotteries – don’t account for large numbers of people in the commission’s therapy programs, Geier added.

Year round, and specifically in March, Geier said his organization has two main messages.

“If you get to the point that you can’t control it, and it’s getting you in trouble, we’re here to help,” he said. “Come to one of our people, our program pays for the help. We are financed with the dollars from gamblers – so essentially gamblers are paying for the help some gamblers might need.”

The No. 2 message encompasses understanding.

“Understand that gambling in various forms can be fun, entertaining – we’re not here to stamp out gambling, that’s unrealistic – but understand how it works, understand that it can be enticing, understand that it can lead you to trouble,” Geier said. “Learn what gambling is all about – learn about how it works, how the games are designed – and be careful if you get into it.”

According to recent neuroscience research, Geier said, gambling is an activity that can lead to brain changes that get people addicted – similar to drug or alcohol dependency.

“It’s quite a phenomenon, and it’s not well understood,” he said. “That’s our job, to get understanding out there.”

Problem gambling help

Numerous local and national organizations can help provide information and assistance to problem gamblers.

• National Problem Gambling Awareness Month: To learn more about the annual awareness campaign, visit http://www.npgam.org

• National Council on Problem Gambling: A national advocate for programs and services to assist problem gamblers and their families, http://www.ncpgambling.org

• Nebraska Commission on Problem Gambling: A state - based commission providing programs and help for problem gamblers, located in Lincoln, (402) 471-4450

• Choices Treatment Center: Hotline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week; free and confidential, (402) 476-2300

• National Problem Gambling/Nebraska Council on Compulsive Gambling Helpline: (800) 522-4700