News
Treatment offered for gambling addiction
BY TIM PERRY
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A recent Ipsos-Reid poll, conducted on behalf of the Responsible Gambling Council, showed that while 92 percent of the people surveyed could see these signs in someone they knew, only one in five could see it in themselves.
Christina Goodyear, team leader of the council's Within Limits program, was in Sudbury last week to raise awareness of gambling problems. The council estimates as many as 5,000 people in the city have problems with gambling.
The council's website describes gambling this way, "People often associate gambling with places such as racetracks or casinos, where they can bet money on the outcome of a horse race or casino game (for example, roulette), but gambling can also be done on the Internet, the stock market, or at home with friends (for example, cards)."
People run into problems if they look at gambling as a way to make money, not as a form of entertainment, Goodyear said.
Signs someone has gambling problem are: losing track of time while gambling; gambling with money meant for living expenses such as food and rent; hiding gambling from friends and family; having few interests outside of gambling, betting more money than originally intended; and trying to recoup losses by betting more money.
According to Goodyear, one should balance gambling with other hobbies and activities. If gambling is your only hobby, it could become a problem.
“If you find you're spending more money then you planned, when you go to gamble, then only bring a certain amount of money with you and leave your credit cards and bank cards at home,” Goodyear suggested.
In Sudbury, treatment for people with gambling addictions is available at the Outpatient Addiction and Gambling Services, through the Sudbury Regional Hospital (523-4988).
A 24-hour problem gambling helpline, run by the province, is also available at 1-888-230-3505.
Problem gamblers may not have to stop completely. Goodyear said it depends on the person. Some will be unable to control themselves in a casino or a bingo hall. Others simply need to learn to curb their behaviour and gamble responsibly.
For those in the former, more extreme, category, entering a voluntary self-exclusion program is an option.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLGC) runs a province-wide program. Those who register for this voluntary self-exclusion program are effectively banned from all OLGC gaming sites and will be escorted out if they attempt to enter a facility.
While most people do gamble responsibly, Within Limits is targeting the minority, who might be on the verge of having a serious problem, and should catch themselves before it becomes too serious.
“Like a driver avoiding accidents, we would like to urge gamblers to check their gambling blind spots now in order to prevent future problems.”
For more information about Within Limits and the Check Your Blind Spot campaign, visit www.checkyourblindspot.ca.
