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Calvin Miller, associate director of the Illinois Council on
Problem Gambling, has heard some heartbreaking stories in his
work on the council.
“People can lose their life savings in a weekend," Miller told
The Center Square. "But there is always a way out. If you are
losing your house, if your marriage is falling apart, the same
thing has happened to other people and we can help."
In Illinois, 400,000 people have a gambling problem and another
700,000 are at risk for developing a problem. It is almost too
easy to gamble these days, Miller said. People play the lottery
on their phones. People bet on video games like "Call of Duty."
“We are betting on just about anything these days,” Miller said.
“They bet on whether a player will make the next shot. They bet
on whether somebody’s going to play the whole game. More than a
billion dollars was bet on the Super Bowl. A lot of people have
fun with it, but plenty of folks get themselves in real
trouble."
Like any other addiction, a gambling addiction will only get
worse unless the person faces up to it and gets help. Call the
anonymous hotline 1-800-GAMBLER anytime to talk to a trained
counselor.
The “Are You Really Winning” website has a short quiz to take to
see if gambling is becoming a problem. The website is an effort
of the Illinois Department of Health and Human Services and
lists warning signs and places people can call anonymously to
connect with a sympathetic trained counselor.
Some of the questions include whether someone thinks about
gambling a lot, betting more money every time to keep it
exciting, chasing losses like upping bets to try to make back
the money lost.
Just like problem drinking, problem gambling is an addiction
that can take over a person’s life. People with substance abuse
disorders can be at higher risk for gambling problems, Miller
said.
ICPG has a self test that people can take to figure out how
problematic their gambling is, Miller said.
Miller encourages therapists, counselors, ministers and youth
leaders to take the Illinois Council on Problem Gambling
training to earn certification to work with clients who have
gambling issues.
On March 17 at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago,
practitioners can earn continuing education credits at the
symposium “Gambling Disorder, Mental and Physical Considerations
for Practitioners.” Scholarships are available at the event’s
website.
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