Not satisfied with the article below, I sought out my own expert who reads and lectures widely on the topic and here are his comments:
Dr. Fong neglects to mention other relevant information, including,
-Gambling, like all self defeating behaviors fall on a continuum from mild, moderate to severe
-Severe or Pathological gamblers are about 2% of the total population and 4% of active gamblers.
-Moderate or Problem gamblers are about 5% of the total population and about 10% of active gamblers.
-Mild or at-risk gamblers represent about 9% of the total population and about 18% of active gamblers
-About 1/3rd of people with drinking problems have some level of gambling problems
-About 60% of people with gambling problems also have some level of drinking problems
About 1/3rd of the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated have some level of gambling problems.
The gambling industry uses the 2% figure to minimize the problem. They fail to mention that the 2% estimate is a projection onto the total population. About 1/3rd of the total population do not gamble at all, effectively distorting the extent of the gambling problem. Projections on active gamblers, the population we are concerned with, approximately double the estimate.
The National Gambling Impact Study Commission is the source for my analysis.
Ask an Expert About Gambling Addiction
Problems related to compulsive gambling can extend far beyond the casino.
As a growing number of states turn to gambling as a source of additional revenue, compulsive gambling is on the rise.
“For most people who gamble, it is a social and recreational activity that does not incur long-lasting damage,” says Dr. Timothy Fong, an addiction expert based in Los Angeles. “But for about 2 percent of the population, they have this psychiatric disorder called gambling addiction that can severely impact their lives in permanently harmful ways.”
Dr. Fong is co-director of the gambling studies program and an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, where the first publicly financed treatment program for compulsive gamblers and their families was recently introduced. He says his office often gets a flurry of calls early in the week following a weekend of sports betting, casino visits, poker games, lottery scratching or Internet gambling. Before the economic downturn, aggressive stock market trading was common.
“We think of gambling addiction as a silent killer,” he says, because it is often masked by medical complaints like insomnia, depression or stomach problems. “Fortunately, we now have treatments that are pretty effective in stopping the gambling and taking away the suffering.”
This week, Dr. Fong joins the Consults blog to answer readers’ questions about gambling addiction. Please post your questions in the Comments box below. Dr. Fong will begin responding to questions in the coming week.
Dr. Fong neglects to mention other relevant information, including,
-Gambling, like all self defeating behaviors fall on a continuum from mild, moderate to severe
-Severe or Pathological gamblers are about 2% of the total population and 4% of active gamblers.
-Moderate or Problem gamblers are about 5% of the total population and about 10% of active gamblers.
-Mild or at-risk gamblers represent about 9% of the total population and about 18% of active gamblers
-About 1/3rd of people with drinking problems have some level of gambling problems
-About 60% of people with gambling problems also have some level of drinking problems
About 1/3rd of the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated have some level of gambling problems.
The gambling industry uses the 2% figure to minimize the problem. They fail to mention that the 2% estimate is a projection onto the total population. About 1/3rd of the total population do not gamble at all, effectively distorting the extent of the gambling problem. Projections on active gamblers, the population we are concerned with, approximately double the estimate.
The National Gambling Impact Study Commission is the source for my analysis.
Ask an Expert About Gambling Addiction
Problems related to compulsive gambling can extend far beyond the casino.
As a growing number of states turn to gambling as a source of additional revenue, compulsive gambling is on the rise.
“For most people who gamble, it is a social and recreational activity that does not incur long-lasting damage,” says Dr. Timothy Fong, an addiction expert based in Los Angeles. “But for about 2 percent of the population, they have this psychiatric disorder called gambling addiction that can severely impact their lives in permanently harmful ways.”
Dr. Fong is co-director of the gambling studies program and an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, where the first publicly financed treatment program for compulsive gamblers and their families was recently introduced. He says his office often gets a flurry of calls early in the week following a weekend of sports betting, casino visits, poker games, lottery scratching or Internet gambling. Before the economic downturn, aggressive stock market trading was common.
“We think of gambling addiction as a silent killer,” he says, because it is often masked by medical complaints like insomnia, depression or stomach problems. “Fortunately, we now have treatments that are pretty effective in stopping the gambling and taking away the suffering.”
This week, Dr. Fong joins the Consults blog to answer readers’ questions about gambling addiction. Please post your questions in the Comments box below. Dr. Fong will begin responding to questions in the coming week.
Of particular concern should be the cost estimated at more than $13,000 per year per Gambling Addict.
As a society, can we really afford to support an Industry that is only successful if it creates Addiction?
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