Posted: Sunday, November 3, 2013 10:55 pm
Young people already acquainted with lotteries, fantasy sports leagues and poker websites often have only one place in mind to celebrate that rite of passage into adulthood.
"They look at a casino as the most exciting and most appropriate place to commemorate their 21st birthday," said Thomas Broffman, a social work professor at Eastern Connecticut State University and researcher of gambling disorders.
With more young people heading to casinos, there are fears that their casual enjoyment of slot machines and table games could turn into something far more insidious - gambling addiction.
But a new development in the medical world is being hailed by compulsive-gambling experts as a dramatic advance in the prevention and treatment of what was once considered a "personality disorder."
The so-called diagnostic bible of the American Psychiatric Association has reclassified compulsive gambling as an addiction. Experts say that could make it easier for pathological gamblers to get help, including funding from their insurance providers for treatment programs.
"This is really groundbreaking," said Donald Weinbaum, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey. "Looking at it as an addiction opens the door to consider different types of responses and approaches."
Jody Bechtold, a nationally recognized expert on gambling and substance abuse, believes more national attention will be focused on prevention and treatment programs now that compulsive gambling is considered an addiction.
"The whole nation will have to reorganize around this issue," Bechtold said. "It will definitely change medical reimbursements for compulsive gambling."
The reclassification of compulsive gambling was made in the American Psychiatric Association's newest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a compendium of more than 300 medical maladies. Weinbaum said compulsive gambling is now the only nonchemical-related addiction recognized by the diagnostic manual.
"This is a big step forward," he said. "Our hope is that it reduces the stigma attached to compulsive gambling and makes people realize there is help."
Weinbaum estimated there are 350,000 problem gamblers in New Jersey. The start of Internet gambling in New Jersey on Nov. 26 has Weinbaum and other compulsive-gambling experts worried that figure could go higher, particularly among younger people.
Speaking at a New Jersey conference on compulsive gambling in September, Broffman warned that tech-savvy college students seem the most vulnerable because of the proliferation of online betting through such outlets as fantasy sports leagues and offshore poker websites.
"Online gambling is very popular," Broffman said. "It's ubiquitous. It's everywhere."
Broffman said he finds it scary that young people "know the winners of the World Series of Poker like we knew baseball stars when we were kids."
New Jersey has joined Delaware and Nevada as the only states so far to legalize online gambling.
Internet gambling is already popular overseas. Some of Europe's top names of online gambling - PokerStars, Betfair and Bwin.party among them - are partnering with Atlantic City's casinos to capitalize on the arrival of Internet wagering in New Jersey.
Internet gambling will allow players to bet on casino-style slots and table games using their home computers, smartphones and other electronic devices as long as they are within New Jersey's borders.
They will now have the choice of staying at home to gamble instead of physically going to a casino.
"When you have it on the computer, people are going to get addicted to it," said Bill Kearney, a reformed compulsive gambler from Philadelphia who serves as an outspoken casino critic. "Now, you're going to be able to stay at home to gamble, because people don't want to waste $3.50 or $4 for a gallon of gas to travel to the casinos."
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, the state regulatory agency overseeing Internet gambling, said a series of safeguards have been built into the regulations to prevent children and compulsive gamblers from playing online. The division worked with the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey and other groups to incorporate strict controls into the regulations.
Among them, New Jersey will automatically extend its list of "self-excluded" gamblers to casino websites. Compulsive gamblers are already allowed to voluntarily ban themselves from brick-and-mortar casinos by signing up for an exclusion list.
Online players will be able to set betting limits on their Web accounts as a way to curtail their gambling. They will also be told about New Jersey's 1-800-GAMBLER hot line for compulsive gambling.
Weinbaum noted that each Atlantic City casino that has Internet gambling will pay a $250,000 annual fee to fund prevention, education and treatment programs offered by the Council on Compulsive Gambling. New Jersey law also calls for an annual study of online betting's impact on compulsive gambling.
"We have an estimated 350,000 problem and compulsive gamblers. That's a sizable starting point," Weinbaum said.
"They look at a casino as the most exciting and most appropriate place to commemorate their 21st birthday," said Thomas Broffman, a social work professor at Eastern Connecticut State University and researcher of gambling disorders.
With more young people heading to casinos, there are fears that their casual enjoyment of slot machines and table games could turn into something far more insidious - gambling addiction.
But a new development in the medical world is being hailed by compulsive-gambling experts as a dramatic advance in the prevention and treatment of what was once considered a "personality disorder."
The so-called diagnostic bible of the American Psychiatric Association has reclassified compulsive gambling as an addiction. Experts say that could make it easier for pathological gamblers to get help, including funding from their insurance providers for treatment programs.
"This is really groundbreaking," said Donald Weinbaum, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey. "Looking at it as an addiction opens the door to consider different types of responses and approaches."
Jody Bechtold, a nationally recognized expert on gambling and substance abuse, believes more national attention will be focused on prevention and treatment programs now that compulsive gambling is considered an addiction.
"The whole nation will have to reorganize around this issue," Bechtold said. "It will definitely change medical reimbursements for compulsive gambling."
The reclassification of compulsive gambling was made in the American Psychiatric Association's newest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a compendium of more than 300 medical maladies. Weinbaum said compulsive gambling is now the only nonchemical-related addiction recognized by the diagnostic manual.
"This is a big step forward," he said. "Our hope is that it reduces the stigma attached to compulsive gambling and makes people realize there is help."
Weinbaum estimated there are 350,000 problem gamblers in New Jersey. The start of Internet gambling in New Jersey on Nov. 26 has Weinbaum and other compulsive-gambling experts worried that figure could go higher, particularly among younger people.
Speaking at a New Jersey conference on compulsive gambling in September, Broffman warned that tech-savvy college students seem the most vulnerable because of the proliferation of online betting through such outlets as fantasy sports leagues and offshore poker websites.
"Online gambling is very popular," Broffman said. "It's ubiquitous. It's everywhere."
Broffman said he finds it scary that young people "know the winners of the World Series of Poker like we knew baseball stars when we were kids."
New Jersey has joined Delaware and Nevada as the only states so far to legalize online gambling.
Internet gambling is already popular overseas. Some of Europe's top names of online gambling - PokerStars, Betfair and Bwin.party among them - are partnering with Atlantic City's casinos to capitalize on the arrival of Internet wagering in New Jersey.
Internet gambling will allow players to bet on casino-style slots and table games using their home computers, smartphones and other electronic devices as long as they are within New Jersey's borders.
They will now have the choice of staying at home to gamble instead of physically going to a casino.
"When you have it on the computer, people are going to get addicted to it," said Bill Kearney, a reformed compulsive gambler from Philadelphia who serves as an outspoken casino critic. "Now, you're going to be able to stay at home to gamble, because people don't want to waste $3.50 or $4 for a gallon of gas to travel to the casinos."
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, the state regulatory agency overseeing Internet gambling, said a series of safeguards have been built into the regulations to prevent children and compulsive gamblers from playing online. The division worked with the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey and other groups to incorporate strict controls into the regulations.
Among them, New Jersey will automatically extend its list of "self-excluded" gamblers to casino websites. Compulsive gamblers are already allowed to voluntarily ban themselves from brick-and-mortar casinos by signing up for an exclusion list.
Online players will be able to set betting limits on their Web accounts as a way to curtail their gambling. They will also be told about New Jersey's 1-800-GAMBLER hot line for compulsive gambling.
Weinbaum noted that each Atlantic City casino that has Internet gambling will pay a $250,000 annual fee to fund prevention, education and treatment programs offered by the Council on Compulsive Gambling. New Jersey law also calls for an annual study of online betting's impact on compulsive gambling.
"We have an estimated 350,000 problem and compulsive gamblers. That's a sizable starting point," Weinbaum said.
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