Answering the Call for Problem Gambling Assistance
1-800-GAMBLER. 1-888-BETSOFF. A myriad of toll-free numbers will connect you to a problem gambling help line somewhere in the country. But what's the difference between the numbers? Who administers the lines, and who actually answers the calls? With so many alternatives, trying to understand the world of problem gambling help lines can often be a daunting task.
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) runs the most widely publicized and widely used of all the help lines, the National Problem Gambling HelpLine Network (1-800-522-4700). According to Keith Whyte, executive director of NCPG, there were more than 144,000 calls to the 24-hour network last year.
NCPG's help line, which offers some immediate counseling services but functions primarily as a treatment referral service for callers, is administered from 26 call centers across the country to provide a seamless umbrella of nationwide coverage. Using advanced computer routing, the decentralized system instantly connects callers with the appropriate state or regional call centers, which are administered by NCPG affiliates in the state. Last year, the national help-line network received calls from every state in the union.
In some states, such as Utah, where no NCPG state affiliate exists, callers are routed to a regional "overflow" call center that provides referral information for callers from multiple states. In fact, some states choose to contract with these overflow centers rather than manage an in-state help line. Texas is the largest overflow call center, handling calls from 10 additional states.
Sue Cox, former executive director of the Texas Council on Problem and Compulsive Gambling, said the main goal of the help line is to get the caller into a continuum of care as soon as possible.
Cox applauded the gaming industry for promoting the help lines and noted the importance of making sure callers have access to the help-line number when and where they need it.
"Our tracking data shows that most of the callers to our help line call from home, which means they need to have access to the number at home," she said. "It is important for properties to provide brochures or leaflets with the number so patrons will be able to find help once they leave the premises."
Cox noted, however, that it is just as important for states to advertise the number in the community. According to Texas data, while the majority of individuals who call about their own problems obtain the number from an actual gaming entity, individuals calling about others most often obtain the number from the phone book or another source.
Whyte said he is aware of at least two other national help lines, including 1-800-GAMBLER, administered by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey. In addition, several states have additional state-specific help lines. Many of these state-funded help lines block calls from outside the state.
For this reason, Cox said it is essential that states and gaming establishments include both the state-specific and national help-line numbers in all materials that promote the line. If patrons leave their state of residence to participate in gaming activities, they still need to be able to access problem gambling assistance services once they return home, she said.
Help-line technologies and services are constantly evolving, and some states are developing ways to move beyond basic referral services to increase the effectiveness of their existing help lines. Each year, the state of Massachusetts allocates funds to the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling (MCCG) to develop a media campaign to promote the state's help-line, 1-800-GAM-1234. According to help-line administrator Marlene Warner, this year's campaign will target senior citizens, who traditionally respond unfavorably to treatment recommendations.
"Seniors don't want to have to travel somewhere to receive treatment, so they often don't get the help they need," she said.
To combat this problem and give all problem gamblers an additional treatment tool, MCCG is working with Harvard Medical School's Division on Addictions to develop a workbook that will serve as a "brief intervention tool" for problem gamblers. The book features self-assessment tools to determine the nature of a caller's problems, as well as motivational exercises and education materials.
Although the workbook is not meant to replace one-on-one care, it does serve to assist those callers who, for whatever reason, may not elect to follow through with the treatment referral they receive on the help line.
MCCG's media campaign was scheduled to begin the first week of March, and the organization will begin to distribute the workbook when it is completed later this spring.
According to Whyte, the NCPG plans to improve the national help line this year by introducing an enhanced set of standards for its 26 call centers across the country. The new standards, which have been in development for the past two years, will require operators to collect a minimum data set of information for all calls to help gather better demographic information; require operators to provide callers with more than one referral option; guarantee that the help line will never be answered by anything other than a live voice; and ensure follow-up with the caller to receive feedback and an evaluation of the help-line service and referral process.
