A Call to Action: Examining Problem Gambling in the Military

Source:www.brandonblog.Homestead.com

Issues related to problem gambling in the military are something that we, as a country, knew little about until fairly recently. However, new research is leading to a greater understanding of problem and pathological gambling among military personnel and veterans, and providing new opportunities to address the issue.

Kamini Shah, ScD, MHS, has studied gambling as an addictive behavior extensively throughout her career, and has also taught in universities and performed secondary data analysis. She served as project manager and data analyst for the study ‘Pathological Gambling: Courses, Consequences and Causes,’ conducted on behalf of the Vietnam Era Twin (VET) Registry, a network composed of approximately 7,000 middle-aged, male-male twins, both of whom served in the military during the time of the Vietnam conflict. Armed with this experience, she’ll present a breakout session at the National Conference on Problem Gambling titled Warriors at Risk: Gambling and Problem Gambling among the Military.

Shah contends that, to combat problem gambling among military personnel and veterans, one must first understand the unique circumstances facing this societal group. Military personnel are given often given frequent access to gambling opportunities, and while the military acknowledges and addresses several addiction and mental health issues, as well as problems associated with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, Shah adds that interventions and treatment for problem and pathological gambling have not yet been intrinsically integrated into the system.

During her presentation at the National Conference, Shah will explore information in support of the conclusion that minimizing the harmful consequences of gambling among military personnel will require improved awareness and targeted internal and legislative efforts. The breakout session will also aim to identify circumstances surrounding gambling in the military, how the prevailing military reaction to problematic gambling behavior differs from the ways in which other addictive behavior is addressed, and identify opportunities for improving the response to gambling problems within military settings and in Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.

Dr. Kamini Shah received her bachelor’s degree in behavioral biology from the Johns Hopkins University School of Arts and Sciences, a Masters of Health Sciences in health finance & management, and a Doctorate of Science in social and behavioral sciences from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. For more information, visit the conference breakout page at the National Conference on Problem Gambling’s website.

Dr. Bo Bernhard: Taking a Global View of Problem Gambling

Dr. Bo Bernhard

Las Vegas, Nevada is well known for its high-stakes gaming culture, and this is a culture Dr. Bo Bernhard knows a thing or two about. He’s been researching the impacts of gambling in the state of Nevada for years, where problem gambling runs rampant. Still, the International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada–Las Vegas follows closely behind, with Bernhard at the helm – he’ll share some of his insights and research at the National Conference on Problem Gambling this July. 

This research and analysis that first began at Harvard University 15 years ago was soon expanded to a worldwide view, with Bernhard, director of the UNLV International Gaming Institute, reaching people on six continents. His research has not only been published in numerous business and social sciences journals, it has garnered several awards, as well—the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling’s Bybee Award, the Boyd Distinguished Research Professorship, and a Brookings Institution Lincy Fellowship. On top of all this, Bernhard is editor of a peer-reviewed journal – Gaming Research and Review. 

Bernhard, along with eight research assistants at the UNLV Institute, has spent the past two years analyzing problem gambling around the world—they refer to it as a “global scan,” a “glocal” approach. More than 75 unique jurisdictions were studied—from Alabama (where Bernhard says illegal bingo machines have proliferated, leading to widespread concerns about social impacts) to Zurich (where European Union exceptions allow the gaming industry to operate, with significant concessions for problem gambling and social programs). As the world and technology continue to evolve, people have access to more ways of gambling than ever before. 

Problem gambling has grown as rapidly as the globalizing gaming industry, the research finds, and its impacts are as different for each locale as the cultures surrounding them. So as one may surmise, a one-size-fits-all approach to dealing with problem gambling just won’t cut it. Bernhard sees a more creative and innovative approach to dealing with the issue as the best road to take. 

Bernhard and two members of his research team, Brett Abarbanel and Kahlil Philander, want to share findings and analysis of the UNLV International Gaming Institute Global Problem Gambling Scan in a conference with those who could ultimately make the biggest impact in handling problem gambling—from recovering gamblers and their family members to counselors and clinicians; from legislators and policy makers to fellow researchers and the media. Presenting the information in a beginner training format, participants will learn to understand and incorporate varied anthropological and cultural perspectives into their own work, recognize compelling international approaches to problem gambling, and come to understand micro-macro-meso approaches to the social sciences. 

Want to learn more? Contact Dr. Bernhard at the International Gaming Institute at UNLV – bo.bernhard@unlv.edu; (702) 340-2508; 4505 S. Maryland Parkway/Box 456037, Las Vegas, NV 89154.

Considering The Casino Debate in Massachusetts

With the National Conference on Problem Gambling on its way to Boston, the flurry of activity across Massachusetts related to casino laws is hard to ignore.

Not only is it one of the most hotly debated issues in the Commonwealth, but also one of the hottest buttons on Beacon Hill. Having been volleyed across the aisles for years, Governor Deval Patrick has voiced his support for some casinos or slot parlors in Massachusetts, proposing a bill that would allow the creation of three separate casinos in September, 2007. But the details have kept the process moving slowly, and the Governor has yet to sign off on a formal resolution.

That said, casino proposals of varying sizes currently pepper the Commonwealth’s landscape; in southeastern Mass., members of the Native American Wampanoag tribe have made a move in Fall River, while in western Mass., Mohegan Sun – based in Connecticut and created by the Mohegan tribe – is actively pursuing a project in the town of Palmer and Paper City Development is proposing a casino for the Wyckoff Country Club off Interstate 91 in Holyoke. Former dog-race track Wonderland in Revere and horse-race track Suffolk Downs, both close to Boston, have proposed revitalization projects, and the city of Marlborough and town of Milford are also receiving keen attention from developers.

Proponents say casino resorts could revitalize the state’s economy, provide a tourism kick-start, and generate jobs, while opponents contend that the social costs such as addiction, bankruptcy, and crime are too high.

The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling neither supports nor opposes gambling, recognizing that most people gamble for entertainment, and do so with minimal interruption to their lives. It also recognizes that there are those for whom gambling becomes problematic.

That said, the council has been very active in legislative arenas regarding gambling laws and guidelines. In the last few decades, it has successfully secured legislation since 1987 that provides funding from state gambling revenue to address problem gambling, formed the Massachusetts Partnership for Responsible Gambling , and worked with the National Council on Problem Gambling to advocate for the Comprehensive Problem Gambling Act of 2009 with federal legislative offices and key Massachusetts stakeholders, among other milestones.

The council’s involvement at many levels reminds us that casino gambling is not a reality in Massachusetts alone. At least a dozen states including Texas, Illinois, and Minnesota are considering proposals to expand casinos or other forms of gambling.

With any expansion of gambling in the U.S. comes a need for greater ancillary services, and this includes problem gambling assistance and counseling. The council has long advocated for treatment for problem gamblers that has resulted in a progression of treatment availability in Massachusetts, from one site in 1987 to 17 sites in 1998. As such, it’s poised to continue to work with various stakeholders as the gambling landscape in the Commonwealth changes, to develop and implement new programs and resources.

Undoubtedly, the issues facing the Commonwealth as it moves forward in the casino debate will provide for rich conversation at this year’s conference, and opportunities to bring new ideas to the national stage.

Read more here:

• http://www.masscompulsivegambling.org/services/advocacy.php

• http://www.boston.com/news/specials/casino/

• http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/05/mohegan_sun_officials_visit_wa.html

• http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/archive/x1152090741/Casino-developer-expected-to-hand-over-cash-to-start-Milford-study#ixzz1O4ZKdCKu

Walking Across America to Raise Awareness of Problem Gambling: Join Michael on July 1, 2011 in Boston!

by Keith Whyte, Executive Director, the National Council on Problem Gambling

This year’s conference theme, Revolutionary Changes and Emerging Innovations, reflects the journey of the problem gambling field over the past quarter of a century. Progress can be measured in many ways. For one speaker, it is in miles. 2,484 miles or about 5.2 million steps. This is distance from Seattle to Boston that recovering gambler Michael K. will cover on foot to reach the conference. (The 25th National Conference on Gambling Problems taking place in Boston July 1-2, 2011).

Michael set out on October 4, 2010 to raise awareness of gambling addiction and “… to exercise the one-day-at-a-time aspect of any long-term commitment. Just as bet-free days accumulate behind me one at a time, the walking miles build up slowly a day at a time.” We’ll update you on Michael’s progress as he closes in on Boston, or you can follow him at http://michaelwalksamerica.blogspot.com/

Conference attendees are invited to join up with Michael on Friday morning and walk with him on the last leg of his journey. The drum and fife corps of the Middlesex Volunteers will escort us through Boston Public Garden, across to the Park Plaza hotel and into the ballroom for an inspirational start to the Conference on Friday, July 1, 2011.