National Association of Social Workers

Support for Problem Gamblers Increases

Obsession Can Be the Source of Other Difficulties

The number of people suffering from problem gambling will likely rise in coming years.

By Paul R. Pace, News Staff

Illustration: John Michael Yanson

The opportunity to gamble legally is at its peak in the nation's history — and according to the latest figures from problem gambling hotlines, so is the number of people seeking assistance for resulting troubles.

Social workers involved in treating problem gamblers say that the trend is more widespread than initially believed and that thousands are suffering in silence.

Part of the challenge, social workers say, is that most problem gamblers won't seek help until it is too late, with financial and personal ruin the result.

Also, social workers need to be aware of the growing concern that problem gambling can be the primary factor for people seeking help with other issues, such as alcohol or drug addiction and depression, said Mia Moran-Cooper, executive director of the Problem Gamblers Help Network of West Virginia.

"I think we're years away from there being a routine question [about problem gambling] on initial screenings," she said.

Social workers involved with problem gamblers note that the behavior disorder affects people of all social classes and income levels.

According to Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling based in Washington, D.C., 48 states have some form of legal gambling (Utah and Hawaii are exempt); legal gambling generated $80 billion in 2005; 80 percent of American adults gamble at least once a year, and of that number, 15 percent have gambled in the past week.

"It's easier than ever to gamble," he said. "And the youth generation is being saturated by legal gambling in a way no other generation has ever faced." Whyte cited the popularity of Internet gambling and gambling shows on television as factors.

The number of people who will suffer from problem gambling will likely rise in coming years as a younger generation becomes accustomed to the habit, said Whyte. He said a recent study revealed that 10 percent of boys ages 14 to 16 have gambled for money on the Internet. Also, of those who have played poker in the past month, those age 12 to 17 were the second-largest age group after those 18 to 24.

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From January 2007 NASW News. © 2007 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. NASW News articles may be copied for personal use, but proper notice of copyright and credit to the NASW News must appear on all copies made. This permission does not apply to reproduction for advertising, promotion, resale, or other commercial purposes.