Officials will discuss self-exclusion bans and problem gambling hotlines.
Gov. John Kasish recently declared March to be Ohio Problem Gambling Awareness Month. State officials estimate that 500,000 Ohioans are at risk of becoming problem gamblers, so the governor’s announcement was an attempt to reach those people with a message.
Ohio has a proliferation of gambling. The state has 11 brick-and-mortar casinos and racing facilities. Ohio also has a state lottery, along with a web of bingo halls dotting the landscape. Anyone prone to compulsive gambling has a variety of ways they can fall prey to their compulsion.
For that reason, four different Ohio government agencies have begun working together to raise problem gambling awareness: the Ohio Casino Control Commission, the Ohio State Racing Commission, the Ohio Lottery, and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
Be the 95%
One initiative by those agencies is the “Be The 95%” program. The effort works upon the idea that 95% of gamblers experience no issues with gambling addiction. They gamble for entertainment and thrills, but feel no compulsion to bet when they’ve lost the money they planned on wagering. Instead, losing cash at the casino disinclines them to risk more cash.
According to advocates fo the “Be The 95%” initiative, the remaining 5% take another attitude when they lose their bankroll. Those people, whether it’s because they get an adrenaline rush or because they rationalize that their luck is going to change, instead chase after their losses. Because gamblers face a house edge, these bettors often end up losing well beyond what they and their families can afford to lose.
5% Problem Gamblers
The program is designed to raise awareness of the statistics and encourage gamblers to make healthy decision. Be the 95% was instituted in 2015 along with the public policy group, Ohio for Responsible Gambling, to help problems gamblers across the state. Part of the program is get word out that compulsive gamblers should called the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966.
Those who are diagnosed as a problem gambler can get free counseling with help from the state. Also, they can enroll in the Voluntary Exclusion Program. Self-exclusion laws let a gambler sign up for a statewide ban on brick-and-mortar casino gambling.
Voluntary Exclusion Program
If a person signs up for the Voluntary Exclusion Program, they can ban themselves from casino gambling for 1 year, 5 years, or a lifetime. Such programs work on the notion that gambling addicts, in their quieter moments away from the casino, do not want to ruin their family’s finances. In the calm of their private life, they can exclude themselves from gambling. When the urge comes over them to gamble at a later time, they are on a exclusion list and have banned themselves from the casino.
The program has worked to this point. Over 2,000 gamblers from 16 US states and Canada have voluntarily banned themselves from Ohio casinos and racetracks, saving themselves and their families countless dollars and countless heartache.
Self-Set Betting Limits
Such measures have been shown to help in other countries around the globe. Ohio can take other measures, though. For instance, the State of Massachusetts is currently testing slot machine technology which would allow gamblers to set a bet limit on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. If the research at Plainridge Racetrack proves successful, it is going to be instituted in Massachusetts casinos like the Wynn Everett and MGM Springfield.
Is It Really 95%?
Gov. Kasich’s officials say that 5% of gambler deal with compulsive gambling. The worldwide statistics suggest that the numbers are far lower than that: perhaps between 1% and 2%. Other researchers have suggested levels as high as 5% and 6%, especially among the younger generation. The 5% figure is non-controversial way to state the case — or perhaps overstate it.
Like many other psychological conditions, though, the compulsive behavior might be on a spectrum. Studies have shown a correlation between addictive gambling and addictive shopping. No doubt, many people exhibit bad shopping habits, but cannot be said to be addicted shoppers. If a person who normally budgets well occasionally goes on a shopping binge to feel better about themselves or escape the everyday, then it is possible gamblers who normally show restraint might have gaming binges, too.
If so, then the 5% number might accurately reflect those at risk, and explain the discrepancies in gaming statistics.
