New Problem Gambling Bill Makes Its Play

With an unprecedented48 states facing budget shortfalls in fiscal year 2010, legislators are desperate to find revenue sources that save them from the rock-and-hard-place of unpopular tax hikes and unpopular cuts in services. It's not surprising then that state legislators are allured by the revenue promised by expanding legal gambling. Gamblers want the chance to voluntarily give away their money, and state governments can rake in healthy profits--it's win-win! The federal government alone pockets well over $5 billion in tax revenue annually from the gaming industry. As state fiscal problems continue, it's likely that we'll see gambling operations increase. Photo from Flickr user morburg; used with a Creative Commons license. The gaming sector is huge and growing (the word "gaming" is preferred by industry proponents, since "games" are harmless fun, whereas "gambling" is risky). Excluding online and sports betting, annual legal gambling revenue is over $90 billion and growing rapidly--as a point of comparison, the entire U.S. brewing industry's revenues are about $18 billion. Of course, that $90 billion is also the measure of individual gamblers' annual losses. The costs of problem gambling are significant and under-recognized (see Addiction Professional's recent article about research about gambling). It's estimated that about 1% of adults are pathological gamblers, and about 3% are problem gamblers. About twice that many are considered "at risk." As with substance use disorders, however, the number of people affected by problem gambling extends to spouses, children, employers, neighbors, and beyond. Problem gambling is estimated to cost society about $7 billion each year, including bankruptcies, divorces, crime, and job losses. Only 34 states provide public problem gambling services of any kind (and many of these services are extremely modest), more than 40 operate state lotteries. The intersection of problem gambling and substance use disorders is enormous--over three-in-four problem gamblers have an alcohol or other substance use disorder. They are at heightened risk for co-occurring depression, anxiety disorders, and other mental health conditions as well. The National Council on Problem Gambling operates a national hotline, 800-255-4700, which may be a helpful resource for any clients you suspect might be problem gamblers. Gamblers Anonymous meetings are held in many areas as well. These issues were highlighted yesterday at a Capitol Hill briefing about a recently introduced bill, the Comprehensive Problem Gambling Act of 2009 (HR 2906). Representatives Jim Moran (D-Va.), Frank Wolf (R-Va.), and Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) spoke about their support for the bill, which would give the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) authority and funding to address problem gambling (problem gambling currently falls through the cracks, with no federal agency bearing responsibility). It would allow SAMHSA to conduct research, expand treatment and training for addiction professionals, and support public awareness campaigns. The bill can be read, and its progress tracked, here.