Q. My son has a serious gambling problem. He says if I pay off his debts he won't gamble anymore but he always returns. Am I doing the right thing?
A. Giving money to a problem gambler is like giving drugs to a drug addict. It doesn't work. Make an appointment and speak with one of our counsellors to find out what is helpful and what is not or ask about our 2 day family workshop to learn more about the do's and don'ts.

Q. How long does it take to see a counsellor and how much does it cost?
A. Usually a client can be seen within seven days and since our treatment program is funded by the Ontario Substance Abuse Bureau, there is no fee for our services.

When people ask me what kind of work I do, I tell them I am a gambling counsellor. They often laugh. Are they being rude? Insensitive? Yes they are. Is their insensitivity and rudeness malicious? NO!
I prefer to think their laughter stems from ignorance. Ignorance of the winning, losing and desperation phases that compulsive gambler’s and their families descend into.
This morning I read an article about the bank manager who admitted to employee theft in excess of 1 million dollars. She is one of many who had access to the money necessary to feed the addiction. When I tell people that the addiction is not about money, they give me a puzzled look. My clients come to understand. Through education and treatment, our clients lose their ignorance and accept that they have a recognized treatable illness, not a financial problem. This newsletter is going to educate people. Education beats ignorance.

Louise Barrière, B.SW., C.G.C.
Gambling Counselor

The opinions and comments from our readers do not necessarily reflect the views of The Chase or Problem Gambling Services.

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Susan Fisher, a prominent researcher from the University of Plymouth in the UK studied the prevalence of problem gambling among casino patrons. Forty casinos participated in the study and 1105 patrons were interviewed face to face. Casino patrons who visited casinos once a week or more were classified as regular patrons while all others were classified as non-regular patrons. Regular patrons accounted for just 7% of all casino gamblers but accounted for 63% of all casino visits.

The Prevalence of Problem Gambling between
regular and non-regular Casino Patrons

Problem Gambling Services is currently working with the University of Connecticut Health Centre to determine if there is a correlation between life histories and female problem gamblers. A comprehensive questionnaire is being completed by 150 problem gamblers from Canada and the United States. Twenty-six clients from Problem Gambling Services have volunteered for the study. Although findings could take 10-12 months, we'll keep you updated.

According to the National Opinion Research Centre, (NORC) at the University of Chicago; the availability of a casino within 50 miles (versus 50-250 miles) is associated with about double the prevalence of problem and pathological gamblers.

WINDSOR REGIONAL PROBLEM GAMBLING SERVICES
2109 Ottawa Street, Suite 40, Windsor, Ontario, N8Y 1R8
Tel: (519) 254-2112 Fax: (519) 254-0093
Email: probgamb@wrh.on.ca