When kids turned eighteen in Minnesota, a favorite way to highlight the occasion, especially in the early 2000’s, was with a night out at a nearby casino. They celebrated their milestone birthdays with all the exuberance of youth who’ve reached the legal age to participate in an adult activity. Most adults continue to enjoy occasional …
We feature an expert in the mental health and substance use disorder field to answer questions. This issue we talk to Katie Richard of Vinland National Center about helping those with problem gambling. What is your role at Vinland National Center and what inspired / led you to work with compulsive gamblers? Currently I am Vinland’s …
About 22% of Minnesotans, regardless of their own participation in gambling, have been negatively affected by the gambling behaviors of others. Problem gambling is not simply a bad habit: It’s an addiction that isolates people and leaves them feeling despondent and hopeless. Problem gambling affects families and communities through unemployment, loss of housing, and more. …
This article about gambling addiction was produced by the Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling. For more information about gambling addiction in Minnesota, visit mnpga.org. The term “addiction” is defined as the state of being compulsively committed to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, such as narcotics, to such …
The Phoenix · Betting Without Boundaries Has a High Cost Bray Ash had a good family, a good life, and a good future. When online gambling took over his mind, he could have lost it all. Fortunately, he got help, but not before a small fortune ― even his student loan money ― was lost …
There is great power in learning from someone who has “been there before.” People with similar lived experience may be able to listen and provide hope and guidance in a way that is uniquely received. So-called “mental health peer support” has existed for decades. Since the 1990s, the concept of “consumers as providers” has become …
If you watched football this past season, you’re likely aware of the growing presence of sports betting culture. Pre-game segments where the hosts give gambling tips. Point spreads displayed next to the score. Advertisements for online sportsbooks during every commercial break. Three years after the Supreme Court ruled that states could allow legal sports betting, …
Gambling is becoming a way of life, to the detriment of individual and family lives. Poker is becoming increasingly popular, now offered in neighborhood bars. Buses transport gamblers to casinos from convenient locations. Exposure on TV, video games and the Internet is increasing. Gambling is being considered as a means to increase revenue for the …
Problem gambling negatively affects individuals, families, and communities in Minnesota. The behavior patterns associated with problem gambling compromise activities of daily living such as relationships, education and vocational opportunities, personal and financial well-being, substance use, emotional stability, physical health, and housing. Problem gambling also impacts families and other loved ones. It contributes to chaos and …
Maria suspected that something was going on with her husband but didn’t know what. He was taking a lot of phone calls behind closed doors. He often seemed frantic to intercept the mailman before the mail was delivered to their house. And his interest in the outcome of various sporting events seemed to intensify in …
