Personal Frontiers gets $45K to treat gambling addiction – Gillette News Record

Right now, if a Campbell County resident is struggling with gambling addiction, there are very few, if any, places they can turn to for help.

Personal Frontiers, a nonprofit substance abuse treatment provider, plans to change that. This week, the organization received $45,000 from the county, which was passed down from the state, to start a program to treat gambling addiction.

In 2023, Campbell County received $45,553 in sports betting revenue from the state, which specified that the money be used for prevention and treatment of problematic gambling behavior.

Under state statute, every month, sports betting operators will send 10% of their revenue to the Wyoming Gaming Commission. Each fiscal year, the first $300,000 of this money will be appropriated to the Wyoming Department of Health. 2023 was the first year the funds were available.

In December, Campbell County sought out applications from local agencies explaining how theyd spend the money, and Personal Frontiers was the only one to apply.

Kay Guire, executive director of Personal Frontiers, said shes seen an increase in gambling addiction in the past few years, just with how accessible it is and how many gambling options are available.

Off-track betting, the Wyoming Lottery and sports betting are a few of the ways people can legally gamble in Campbell County.

She said gambling addiction often goes hand in hand with other addictions.

Our clients stop substance abuse and theyve replaced it with something else, and sometimes it is gambling, she said. And its readily available, and some people dont know how to gamble responsibly.

Locally, there are no options for people who are struggling with gambling addiction. Guire said there isnt a Gamblers Anonymous chapter in the whole state of Wyoming, and the closest one to Gillette is in a small town three hours away.

The Campbell County Prevention Council wrote a letter of support, saying that those in Gillette who struggle with gambling addiction have to travel or participate in virtual programs.

This combined with long wait times and a lack of financial resources puts a strain on families who are living with addiction, wrote Ashley McRae, a certified prevention specialist for the county.

Personal Frontiers gambling addiction program will include weekly group meetings, individual counseling and mental health sessions, Guire said, adding that she also is applying for a $45,000 grant through the National Council on Problem Gambling for this program.

Guire said employees will have to go through some training, and that the program should be ready to train in the beginning of April.

There also will be a big push to raise awareness. Guire plans to talk with the various businesses that have gambling to get posters and magnets put up, and she also wants to give presentations on the program.

I think just getting the word out is half the battle, she said.

Guire said shes very excited to get this program going. For years Personal Frontiers has helped people struggling with drug addiction. Now, its branching out and hitting another addiction that affects adults of all ages.

Right now, where are they going? Theyre not, theyre continuing to go down that road. Now, they have another avenue, another road they can possibly go down, she said. I feel very strongly that people need help. Personal Frontiers would like to be the frontier of that help.

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Personal Frontiers gets $45K to treat gambling addiction - Gillette News Record