Finding Help for Problem Gamblers
By Ryan Schlehuber

It took an intervention by court order to make Alice realize she had a problem with gambling. She had been charged with writing fraudulent checks.

"I was forced to attend Gamblers Anonymous for two years, three times a week," said the woman, whose name has been changed for this story to protect her privacy.

Over the next three months, her attitude about attending meetings changed from feeling forced to go, to appreciating the benefits of the group therapy.

"The meetings became my lifeline," she said. "We talk about what's going on with you, and how gambling affects your whole life."

Alice, who has been battling problem gambling for 10 years, moved to St. Ignace from the state of Washington a little more than a year ago and immediately sought a local Gamblers Anonymous group, but had difficulty finding one in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. A Tuesday evening group was started in St. Ignace in 2006, but struggled to meet regularly and then stopped altogether. Meetings resumed recently after a six-month hiatus, with Alice as main coordinator. The small support group still seeks a permanent coordinator, and wants people who need help to show up.

Finding support from others and encouraging more people to become involved are reasons why she feels compelled to speak out now about gambling addiction. Gamblers Anonymous, said Alice, is run strictly by those who are affected by the problem.

"Problem gambling is a bigger problem in this area than people think," she said. "It's a small town, so many people are afraid to come to Gamblers Anonymous because they don't want people to know they have a problem."

Legalized gambling is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States, and the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery says about 3% of the adult population will experience serious problems with gambling.

Pathological gamblers are those who become addicted to gambling, just as some people become addicted to drugs or alcohol. It's not the money they seek, but the excitement of the gambling action, and pathological gamblers will gamble to lose just to stay in that action, the Institute reports. For some people, the problem progresses along a predictable path and can result in unmanageable debt, family disruption, job loss, theft, and even suicide.

Alice said she can go to a casino and point out problem gamblers just by their demeanor, but said others wouldn't see what she sees because "people don't associate those people with problem gambling because they see them out just enjoying themselves playing the slots or cards."

But inside that person's mind, said Alice, they are feeding their addicted, compulsive behavior.

"It's like an eating disorder or a bad smoking habit," she said. "It's an imbalance in your system. Problem gamblers are known to lie and even steal from family and friends. You begin to avoid loved ones, pick up bad eating habits, and eventually break down emotionally and financially."

Problems with gambling can also lead to criminal behavior, such as embezzlement, to cover gambling losses.

Mackinac County Prosecuting Attorney Fred Feleppa said he sees about six embezzlement cases a year in which an employee has gambling problems, however, he noted, "Usually, we're only the tip of the iceberg. It's the same as drunk driving; we catch only so many, but there are many more out there that we don't catch or that don't get reported."

In Michigan, 2% of adults have a gambling problem, according to a 2006 study conducted for the Michigan Department of Community Health by David J. Hartmann at Western Michigan University. That is one out every 50 adults.

Alice believes the percentage could be higher in areas like St. Ignace, where there aren't as many community social activities as in larger cities, especially for people who are unemployed or elderly. Some people, including senior citizens, are drawn to casinos for social interaction with their peers.

In Michigan, where gambling is readily available, the rate of people seeking help is low, according to Dr. Hartmann's study. Gamblers Anonymous reports that less than 10% of problem gamblers seek help for their problem.

"Estimates continue to suggest problem gambling is a substantial reality in Michigan and reaches across demographic and geographic boundaries," Mr. Hartmann said in his study. "Perhaps most telling is that even among persons scoring as 'problem' or 'pathological gamblers,' rates of seeking help are very low."

Group therapy and private counseling can help people curb the intense urge to gamble, which is a form of impulse control disorder, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Gamblers Anonymous is one fellowship support group. Members meet regularly to discuss their progress and help each other cope with gambling urges, remain anonymous, and do not talk about their problems with people outside the support group. The 12-step system uses much the same philosophy as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. Gamblers Anonymous offers a set of questions to help people determine whether they may have a gambling problem (see sidebar).

"Talking about it with others is the best way to cope with problem gambling, especially to people who have walked the same path you have," said Alice.

While not obligated to do so, Kewadin Casinos in St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie offers assistance for problem gamblers, according to Michelle Bouschor, public relations officer for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

"We don't like to see anyone taking it over the edge," said Mrs. Bouschor. "We encourage those who spend more than they can afford to seek help, which is why we promote the Michigan Department of Community Health's hotline and Web site with signs and fliers that are displayed randomly through the casinos."

Kewadin offers a voluntary selfbanishment program in which problem gamblers can ask to be banned. Once signed, a photograph for identification is taken, and casino security is given the right to escort that person from the premises if spotted there.

"We do it in a discreet way, so as not to embarrass the person," said Mrs. Bouschor.

The first request is good for six months, a second is good for another 12 months, and after that, a person can request a lifetime ban from the casinos.

Self-banned gamblers can secure advance permission to be on the premises, to attend a wedding or eat at the casino's restaurant, for example, but would not be allowed on the gaming floor, Mrs. Bouschor said.

The tribe will not divulge how many people are involved in the self-ban program. Casino management does not promote or advertise to patrons the option of banning oneself from the casino, other than by security officers suggesting it to patrons who are believed to have a gambling problem.

"An Indian casino is not required to do this, but we realize some people need help with their gambling problems," said Mrs. Bouschor.

Alice worries that the self-ban program could give a false sense of security to people struggling with gambling problems, and suggests it could be stronger.

"In some casinos," she said, "if you ban yourself, you can actually get arrested if caught on the casino premises."

"Casinos in Washington," she added, "would have Gamblers Anonymous hotline telephone numbers displayed at every ATM machine and even on the back of ATM receipts."

Alice, who is unemployed, has recently written a daily schedule of things she needs to do to distract her from thinking about gambling.

"For me, it's a matter of keeping myself occupied," she said. "I have a routine to keep me out of the casino. I try to focus on something else because, if I start thinking of going out to the casino, my whole body is agitated."

For most problem gamblers, she said, it starts out with the thrill of making some money from playing, but then, at least for her, she didn't see the chips as money.

"Pretty soon all the chips were gone and I wouldn't associate how much I actually lost in money, and then I'd put down another $20," she said. "It's a progressive illness."

Unfortunately, many problem gamblers do not seek help until they face a dire situation, said Alice.

"You have to bottom out in some part of your life before you realize the seriousness of your problem. It's something you have to realize by yourself. You have to come to that point of self-realization before you can be helped or before you seek help."

Gamblers Anonymous in St. Ignace welcomes anyone who may have problems coping with gambling, and the group also invites people who have loved ones who may be addicted to gambling. Participants use first names only, emphasize strict confidentiality, and maintain their anonymity if they meet each other in public settings.

Meetings are held each Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Catholic Center on Spring Street, across the street from the Catholic Church.

The Michigan Department of Community Health offers a 24-hour hotline for problem gamblers. Call (800) 270-7117.

Sault Tribe members with problem gambling may call the American Indian Substance Abuse Services at (906) 635-6075.

More information about problem gambling is available online at www.gamblersanonymous.org or at www.michigan.gov/mdch.

Do you have a gambling problem?

Spending more than you can afford on gambling indicates a problem. Gamblers Anonymous suggests these questions can help gamblers determine the severity of gambling problems:

1. Have you ever lost time from work due to gambling?

2. Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?

3. Has gambling affected your reputation?

4. Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?

5. Have you ever gambled to get money to pay debts or solve financial difficulties?

6. Has gambling ever caused a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?

7. After losing, do you feel you must return as soon as possible to win back your losses?

8. After winning, do you have a strong urge to return and win more?

9. Do you often gamble until you run out of money?

10. Have you ever borrowed money to finance your gambling?

11. Have you ever sold anything to finance your gambling?

12. Are you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures?

13. Does gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself and your family?

14. Do you ever gamble longer than planned?

15. Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble?

16. Have you ever committed or considered committing an illegal act to finance gambling?

17. Has gambling ever caused you to have difficulty sleeping?

18. Do arguments, disappointments, or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?

19. Do you ever get the urge to celebrate any good fortune with a few hours of gambling?

20. Have you ever considered self destruction as a result of your gambling?