Problem Gambling 101

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Problem Gambling 101

• Jackson County Problem Gambling Prevention
  Services
• Presented by Roxann Jones

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Definition of Gambling

• To risk money or something of value on the
  outcome of an unpredictable event or contest.

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History First Gambling Law

• 1630 All persons whatsoever that have cards,
  dice or tables in their houses, shall make away
  with them before the next court under pain of
  punishment.
• 1744 Virginia outlaws gambling in public places.

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History Public Lotteries

• 1831 - 420 lotteries held in 8 states
• Amount raised from the lotteries was five times
  greater than that years federal budget.

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History Prohibition Years

• 1910-1931
• Concurrent with the growing attitude towards
  prohibition of alcohol and other drugs, gambling
  became illegal in nearly all of the United States.

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History National

• 1931 Las Vegas gambling legalized
• 1945 Bugsy Segal builds the first
  hotel/Casino complex The Flamingo
• 1977 Every state except Nevada prohibited
  commercial gambling casinos. Now, all but two
  (Utah Hawaii) have some form of legalized
  gambling available.
• 1988 Indian Gambling Regulatory Act

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History Oregon

• 1933 Pari mutual betting legalized
• 1976 Charity bingo
• 1984 Lottery Authorized
• 1985 Megabucks and scratch-offs
• 1987 Off track betting legalized

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History Oregon Continued

• 1989 Sports betting (sports action lottery)
• 1991 Keno authorized, every 5 minutes
• 1992 Video poker legalized (as of October, 2004
  there are 10,238 terminals in over 2,000 venues)
• 1994 First Native American Casino opened
  (Currently there are 9 open in Oregon)

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History Oregon Continued

• 2003 Football scratch-it tickets
• 2003 Expansion to six lottery terminals and ten
  in pari-mutual establishments
• 2004 Keno offered every 4 minutes. Lottery
  Click Play computerized games implemented
• 2005 Line games implemented

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Scope Oregon

• 2008 Oregonians spent 1.6 billion on Oregon
  Lottery sales, or 434 per adult
• Approximately 5 million a day
• Approximately 205 thousand an hour
• Approximately 3,425 a minute
• Equals more than 57 a second!

• 2008 Jackson County residents spent over 57
  million on Oregon Lottery Sales, or approximately
  385 per adult

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Scope Oregon

• 2008 Oregons casinos garnered about 32 of all
  gambling dollars spent by Oregonians
• The Oregon Lottery had net sales of 1.245.5
  billion in fiscal year 2008 (Oregon Lottery 08)
• 40 to 60 of cash wagered in casinos is
  withdrawn from ATMs as cash or cash advance
• Oregonians entering treatment in 2007, had a
  combined debt related to gambling of over 37
  million.

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Tribal Casinos Oregon

• Oregon tribal casinos offer
• 7,078 slot machines
• 125 table games
• 1956 bingo seats
• 39 poker tables
• Only 7 other states have more gambling tribes
• Spirit Mountain is Oregons 1 tourist
  attraction, having surpassed Multnomah Falls

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Minimum Age

• 18 Traditional lottery games (e.g., scratch
  its, Powerball, Breakopens)
• 18 Charitable gaming (e.g., bingo)
• 18 Pari-mutual betting (horses)
• 21 Video lottery and tribal casinos

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Definition Problem Gambler

• Gambling behavior which causes disruptions in
  any major area of life psychological, physical,
  social or vocational
• (National Council on Problem Gambling)

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Definition Pathological Gambler

• A chronic disorder that results in the loss of
  control over gambling
• (DSM-IV)

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Impact Prevalence in Oregon

• 2006 2.7 of adults (approx 74,000) were
  believed to meet the criteria for problem or
  pathological gamblers (Moore, 2006)
• One in every 25 Oregon Teens (13-17) experienced
  gambling-related problems, thats more than
  10,000 Oregon Teens (Carlson Moore, 1998)
• About 6,000 Oregonians over 62 (1.2) are
  believed to meet the criteria for problem or
  pathological gambling (Moore, 2001)

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Gambling in Oregon

• Lottery
• Scratch-its
• Megabucks
• Powerball
• Video gaming
• 62 poker
• 15 slots
• Keno
• Bingo
• Casino Gaming

• Sports bets
• Horse racing
• Stocks
• Internet
• Office pools
• Poker / cards
• Bets among friends

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Impact Crime

• Over 36 of clients in Oregon reported committed
  crimes to finance gambling
• Gamblers Anonymous members report that
  approximately half of their members had stolen to
  gamble and over 1/3 had been arrested
• Most crimes are non-violent e.g., check forgery,
  stealing credit cards, embezzlement, insurance
  fraud, tax evasion, fencing stolen goods, etc.

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Impact Domestic

• 18 of gamblers seeking treatment had gambling
  related divorces
• 10 more had gambling related separations
• 31 lost or quit a job due to gambling
• Average debt generally equal to income
• 25 of gamblers seeking treatment reported
  domestic violence in their relationship as a
  result of their gambling

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Impact Children

• Children of PGs experience twice the incidence of
  broken homes (separation, divorce, death of a
  parent) before age 15
• Children of PGs are prone to suffer abuse as well
  as a neglect
• Children of PGs have higher levels of overeating
  and tobacco, alcohol, and drug use

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Impact Child Examples

• 28 reported child fatalities nation wide reported
  from children being left in cars while parents
  gamble
• IL Woman who needed money to gamble suffocated
  her 7-week-old child to collect 200,000 of life
  insurance
• OR Woman left her children, ages 1,2, and 3,
  strapped in their car seats as she gambled at
  Spirit Mountain casino for 11 hours

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Impact Suicide, Depression Concurrent Disorders

• More than 48 of Oregons treatment clients had
  suicidal thoughts, and more than 7 had attempted
  suicide
• A major depressive disorder is likely to occur in
  76 of pathological gamblers
• 30 Alcohol
• 13 Drugs
• 61 Tobacco

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AddictionGambling vs. Substances

• Similarities
• Loss of control
• Denial
• Depression Mood Swings
• Progressive
• Chasing
• First win (high) remembered
• Blackouts/brownouts
• Use an escape
• Preoccupation
• Low self esteem high ego
• Use of rituals
• Similar highs

• Differences
• Hidden addiction
• Cant overdose
• Huge financial problems
• Can function at work
• Cant be tested
• Doesnt require ingestion
• Fewer resources available
• Perceptions

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Impact Employment Status

• Oregon Problem Gamblers in Treatment
• 2 Unknown/Not coded
• 14 Not employed not looking
• 17 Not employed looking
• 3 Irregular
• 10 Part-time
• 54 Full-time

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More Popular than Ever The Six As

• Availability (The only state that offers more
  gambling opportunities than Oregon in Nevada)
• Access
• Acceptability
• Advertising
• Attractiveness
• Adrenaline

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Levels of Involvement

• Social Gambling
• You stick to limits of money to play with
• You hope to win but expect to lose
• You can take it or leave it
• You gamble once in a while

• Problem Gambling
• You play with you need or with borrowed
• You expect to win. And keep playing to win back
  losses
• You think about gambling a lot
• You spend more and more time and money gambling

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Getting Help in Jackson County

• 1-877 MYLIMIT or 1877mylimit.org
• Help Line, available 24 hrs, everyday
• Treatment Providers
• - Addictions Recovery Center
• - On Track
• Treatment is free for gamblers and loved ones!