Problem Gambling Awareness Month: `Have the Conversation’

By: Melody Dizon

 

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM). The 2017 PGAM theme is “Have the Conversation” and the goals of this national campaign are to increase public awareness of problem gambling and the availability of prevention, treatment & recovery services.

So what is problem gambling?

Problem gambling–or gambling addiction–includes all gambling behavior patterns that compromise, disrupt or damage personal, family or vocational pursuits. The essential features are increasing preoccupation with gambling, a need to bet more money more frequently, restlessness or irritability when attempting to stop, “chasing” losses, and loss of control manifested by continuation of the gambling behavior in spite of mounting, serious, negative consequences. In extreme cases, problem gambling can result in financial ruin, legal problems, loss of career and family, or even suicide. For more information on the American Psychiatric Association’s criteria for gambling addiction, please see the DSM 5 at www.psych.org.

Isn’t problem gambling just a financial problem?

No. Problem gambling is an emotional problem that has financial consequences. If you pay all of a problem gambler’s debts, the person will still be a problem gambler. The real problem is that they have an uncontrollable obsession with gambling.

Isn’t problem gambling really the result of irresponsible or weak-willed people?

No. Many people who develop problems have been viewed as responsible and strong by those who care about them. Precipitating factors often lead to a change in behavior, such as retirement or job-related stress.

What kind of people become problem gamblers?

Anyone who gambles can develop problems if they are not aware of the risks and do not gamble responsibly. When gambling behavior interferes with finances, relationships and the workplace, a serious problem already exists.

Do casinos, lotteries and other types of gambling “cause” problem gambling?

The cause of a gambling problem is the individual’s inability to control the gambling. This may be due in part to a person’s genetic tendency to develop addiction, their ability to cope with normal life stress and even their social upbringing and moral attitudes about gambling. The casino or lottery provides the opportunity for the person to gamble. It does not, in and of itself, create the problem any more than a liquor store would create an alcoholic.

What types of gambling cause the most problem gambling?

Again, the cause of a gambling problem is the individual’s inability to control the gambling. Therefore, any type of gambling can become problematic, just as an alcoholic can get drunk on any type of alcohol. But some types of gambling have different characteristics that may exacerbate gambling problems. While these factors are still poorly understood, anecdotal reports indicate that one risk factor may be a fast speed of play. In other words, the faster the wager to response time with a game, the more likely players may be to develop problems with a particular game.

What is the responsibility of the gaming industry?

Everyone who provides gambling opportunities has a responsibility to develop policies and programs to address underage and problem gambling issues.

Can you be a problem gambler if you don’t gamble every day?

The frequency of a person’s gambling does not determine whether or not they have a gambling problem. Even though the problem gambler may only go on periodic gambling binges, the emotional and financial consequences will still be evident in the gambler’s life, including the effects on the family.

How much money do you have to lose before gambling becomes a problem?

The amount of money lost or won does not determine when gambling becomes a problem. Gambling becomes a problem when it causes a negative impact on any area of the individual’s life.

How can a person be addicted to something that isn’t a substance?

Although no substance is ingested, the problem gambler gets the same effect from gambling as someone else might get from taking a tranquilizer or having a drink. The gambling alters the person’s mood and the gambler keeps repeating the behavior attempting to achieve that same effect. But just as tolerance develops to drugs or alcohol, the gambler finds that it takes more and more of the gambling experience to achieve the same emotional effect as before. This creates an increased craving for the activity and the gambler finds they have less and less ability to resist as the craving grows in intensity and frequency.

Are problem gamblers usually addicted to other things too?

It is generally accepted that people with one addiction are more at risk to develop another. Some problem gamblers also find they have a problem with alcohol or drugs. This does not, however, mean that if you have a gambling problem you are guaranteed to become addicted to other things. Some problem gamblers never experience any other addiction because no other substance or activity gives them the same feeling as the gambling does. There also appears to be evidence of family patterns regarding dependency as many problem gamblers report one or both parents had a drinking and or gambling problem

How widespread is problem gambling in the U.S.?

2 million (1%) of U.S. adults are estimated to meet criteria for pathological gambling in a given year. Another 4-6 million (2-3%) would be considered problem gamblers; that is, they do not meet the full diagnostic criteria for pathological gambling, but meet one of more of the criteria and are experiencing problems due to their gambling behavior. Research also indicates that most adults who choose to gamble are able to do responsibly.

How widespread is gambling in the U.S.?

Approximately 85% of U.S. adults have gambled at least once in their lives; 60% in the past year. Some form of legalized gambling is available in 48 states plus the District of Columbia. The two without legalized gambling are Hawaii and Utah.

Can children or teenagers develop gambling problems?

A number of states allow children under 18 to gamble, and youth also participate in illegal forms of gambling, such as gambling on the Internet or betting on sports. Therefore, it is not surprising that research shows that a vast majority of kids have gambled before their 18th birthday, and that children may be more likely to develop problems related to gambling than adults. While debate continues on this issue, there appears to be a number of factors influencing this finding. Parental attitudes and behavior play a role. Age of exposure plays a part, in that adults who seek treatment for problem gambling report having started gambling at an early age. A number of adolescents reported a preoccupation with everything related to gambling prior to developing problems.

SCREENING TOOLS

1. BRIEF BIOSOCIAL GAMBLING SCREEN (BBGS)

The Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen (BBGS) is a 3-item survey designed to help people decide on their own whether to seek a formal evaluation of their gambling behavior. The BBGS is based on the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria for pathological gambling. For more information and to use the BBGS e-screener, please visit http://www.divisiononaddiction.org/bbgs_new/

2. DSM-5 GAMBLING DISORDER CRITERIA

The American Psychiatric Association provides guidelines used for gambling disorders. For more information on the DSM-5, please visit http://www.dsm5.org/.

3. NORC DIAGNOSTIC SCREEN FOR GAMBLING PROBLEMS-SELF ADMINISTERED (NODS-SA)

The NODS-SA is self-assessment version of the NODS (the NORC Diagnostic Screen for Gambling Disorders). It was designed to assist individuals in evaluating whether to modify or seek help for their gambling behavior. The NODS is based on the APA’s DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling.

PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING 10 YES/NO QUESTIONS HONESTLY:

• 1. Have there ever been periods lasting two weeks or longer when you spent a lot of time thinking about your gambling experiences, planning out future gambling ventures or bets, or thinking about ways of getting money to gamble with?* o Yes o No

• 2. Have there ever been periods when you needed to gamble with increasing amounts of money or with larger bets than before in order to get the same feeling of excitement?* o Yes o No

• 3. Have you ever felt restless or irritable when trying to stop, cut down, or control your gambling?* o Yes o No

• 4. Have you tried and not succeeded in stopping, cutting down, or controlling your gambling three or more times in your life?* o Yes o No

• 5. Have you ever gambled to escape from personal problems, or to relieve uncomfortable feelings such as guilt, anxiety, helplessness, or depression?* o Yes o No

• 6. Has there ever been a period when, if you lost money gambling one day, you would often return another day to get even?* o Yes o No

• 7. Have you lied to family members, friends, or others about how much you gamble, and/or about how much money you lost on gambling, on at least three occasions?* o Yes o No

• 8. Have you ever written a bad cheque or taken money that didn’t belong to you from family members, friends, or anyone else in order to pay for your gambling?* o Yes o No

• 9. Has your gambling ever caused serious or repeated problems in your relationships with any of your family members or friends? Or, has your gambling ever caused you problems at work or your studies?* o Yes o No

• 10. Have you ever needed to ask family members, friends, a lending institution, or anyone else to loan you money or otherwise bail you out of a desperate money situation that was largely caused by your gambling?* o Yes o No

o REMINDER: this self-assessment will help you figure out if there is a problem, but only a professional can diagnose if it is a gambling problem, a different problem, or both. If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, you should seek help.

AWARENESS TOOLS

A preoccupation with gambling may cause some people to risk more than money. They may be gambling away their health, happiness and their family’s welfare.

Here are a few signs of problem gambling

You’ve gambled until you’ve lost your last dollar; Thoughts of gambling have caused you to lose; You’ve ended up gambling for longer than you planned to; You’ve made repeated attempts to stop gambling.

According to The National Council on Problem Gambling, people who identify with any of these signs—or a number of other signs—are likely to be problem gamblers.##