Question of the Month
July
2002
What efforts have
Midwestern states made to promote responsible gambling and treat those
with gambling problems?
Every state in the
Midwest attempts to prevent problem gambling through various programs.
One common approach is the use of a telephone help line that provides
crisis intervention and professional assistance for problem gamblers.
Some states report receiving several thousand calls a year to their
help lines. Public dollars also are earmarked for those interested in
seeking professional training in the area of gambling treatment.
Iowa uses
its communications network to broadcast training sessions for sites
across the state, while in Illinois, a five-day, 30-hour
certification course is available. Nebraska has created
a specific certification program for compulsive gambler counselors.
Nearly half of state dollars for problem gambling goes toward
treatment, with most states offering some kind of outpatient therapy
service. The funding of inpatient services is less common, although
contracted agencies are reimbursed in both Indiana and Minnesota.
Various public
awareness and preventative programs also are common features of state
attempts to limit problem gambling. For example, the Ohio Lottery
Commission has developed a curriculum and resource guide on underage
gambling and distributed it to school districts throughout the state.
According to the Association of Problem Gambling Service
Administrators, there are three million problem gamblers in the United
States.
State funding to help
problem gamblers ranges from a per capita high of $1.04 to a low of
$.003 (Indiana provides the most in this region, $.58). Some U.S.
states do not allocate any dollars. More information on state-specific
gambling treatment programs is available at www.apgsa.org.
For
more information on this or any other public policy issue, please call
630-925-1922 or complete the online
form for research services.
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