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Published: May 21, 2006 08:15 pm
HOOKED ON GAMBLING: Gambling treatment slow to emerge
Treatment for problem gamblers has lapsed behind the industry’s growth in Niagara County
By Denise Jewell
Niagara Gazette
Without grand-funded services, many problem gamblers can’t afford to pay for treatment. By the time they reach out for help, they’ve often hit rock bottom.
“That’s just the nature of the disorder. A person with a gambling problem doesn’t really stop until they run out of money,” Wert said. “The thought they have is that the next bet they place will be the one they win.”
Studies show problem gambling takes a toll beyond the individual gambler. Bankruptcies, thefts and suicides have all been linked to compulsive gambling.
But many times, Wert said, the problem remains hidden.
“It just stays within the family,” Wert said. “The gambling problem is there and it’s just taken care of without the person going for treatment, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ve stopped gambling.”
While the number of people seeking help is growing, research to determine exactly what causes compulsive gambling is well behind studies done on other addictions.
John Welte, a researcher at the State University of New York at Buffalo’s Institute on Addictions, led one of the most recent nationwide studies to identify the prevalence of problem gambling. His findings, published in the Journal of Gambling Studies, showed that survey participates living within 10 miles of a casino were nearly twice as likely to show signs of problem gambling than respondents who lived farther away.
Welte also found that those living in poorer neighborhoods reported higher rates of problem gambling.
“We’re 20 or 30 years behind research that’s been done in alcohol and drugs,” Welte said. “There’s been a lot of research done about prevalence. We need more research that tries to get closer to examining the causes of pathological gambling.”
While researchers are exploring the root causes of problem gambling, people on the front lines of the industry say they see a common pattern in people that seek help: They have to realize for themselves that they have a problem.
“The only way somebody’s going to use a help-line is if they want help,” said Fryza, the lottery vendor. “It’s just like alcoholism.”
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