Casino Backers Must Aid Problem Gamblers – Hartford Courant – Hartford Courant

Connecticut may be poised to enter a new gambling frontier, one that requires better safeguards for the state's most vulnerable populations.

The General Assembly is being asked to consider many gambling-related bills. One would authorize a new gaming facility operated jointly by the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes. Another would establish a competitive bidding process to establish a third casino. And still others propose establishing an internet-based lottery or changes to the charitable gaming laws.

To some, the move to expand gaming is a natural evolution and vital to keeping consumers within the state. With the creation of the MGM casino in Springfield only miles away, marketing projections show that as early as next year thousands of patrons of the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casinos could be lost. There is also a significant threat of loss of jobs and annual revenue for the state.

We at the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling understand these concerns, but also see this issue through a different lens. We see it in the context of the hundreds of people who call our helpline every year because they or a family member are struggling with problem gambling. We see it through the experience of many of our veterans who started gambling overseas and came home in the throes of addiction, often reluctant to seek help. And we see it through the many people who started gambling in college, or on a whim, only to see their play grow into a problem and cause them to go into significant debt threatening their homes, their jobs and their families.

There is no question that gambling is an addiction and a disease like alcohol or drug abuse. We also know it impacts certain populations more than others including African American men, our veterans, immigrants and those with other behavioral health challenges.

We have learned much about addiction in the years since casino gaming was first established in Connecticut. If the state seeks to continue on this path of expanded gambling, it should update the law to include significant protections for consumers and resources for problem gambling prevention and recovery or not move forward at all.

Here are some tools that we believe should be included in any gambling expansion law:

Research All player data should be collected anonymously and used by third party researchers to provide reports on the trends and play of all gamblers, including those who end up with a problem.

Education information Every casino location, slot machine, online product, etc. should include prominently placed problem gambling information and access to help services (such as a hotline). They should also provide players with records of their individual gambling history and withdrawal amounts, which acts as an educational tool and deterrent.

Individualized tools to limit gambling The state should provide guidelines on the amount that can be gambled over certain periods, and allow consumers to set their own more restrictive limits. All products should allow for self-exclusion, which lets problem gamblers ask casinos and online operators to refuse to let them play.

Strong advertising restrictions Advertising for every gambling product, including online, should go through rigorous review, include information on responsible gambling and never target young (under age) people. Advertising should also include accurate information about the odds of winning and losing so people understand their risk.

Designated funding stream for prevention, treatment and recovery services If we are going to expand gaming within the state, we must adequately fund addiction services. These funds should be from a designated stream that takes it out of yearly political whims.

These are just a few of the many best practices that should be established or enhanced before the legislature moves forward with any gambling expansion in Connecticut. We know that too many families will fall behind without them, and the costs to those families will be far greater than any perceived benefits of moving forward into this new gambling frontier.

Marlene Warner is the acting executive director of the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling.

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Casino Backers Must Aid Problem Gamblers - Hartford Courant - Hartford Courant