Council Column: Funding for Problem Gambling Services Declines in 2003

As 2003 comes to an end, a troubling trend seems to be emerging in the problem gambling field. There has never been a time of greater awareness of the issue of problem gambling in this country, and yet it appears that overall national spending on problem gambling services in the United States this year may actually decline. Problem gambling services are the programs that can provide direct assistance to problem gamblers and their families, such as information and referral help lines and funded treatment programs. These services provide real solutions for people who are suffering from gambling problems and serve as the public "safety net" for the communities where they live.

Research into gambling disorders is increasing, largely due to the gaming industry's efforts to raise funds for this purpose. Through research, we hope to learn more about the nature of problem gambling in order to develop better prevention and treatment strategies. In the meantime, we must be concerned about the diminishing support for direct programs and services, in spite of a general expansion of gambling availability and increase in gaming revenue.

The following are recent examples of diminishing support for services: 

• Washington - The state's pilot treatment program, administered by the Washington State Council on Problem Gambling, was created in 2002 through a one-time funding allocation of $500,000, generated through an expansion of the state's lottery games. The program was eliminated in June 2003 after only eight months. Outcome studies show that of the 226 people who completed treatment, two-thirds of them were able to stop or significantly reduce their gambling and reported significant improvement in quality of life issues. The treatment providers reported that of those still in treatment when the funding ended, 90 percent were forced to drop out for financial reasons. 
• Massachusetts - In 2002, the state spent $1.1 million on public awareness, education and treatment of problem gambling. This year the governor vetoed all funding for the programs of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling. Fortunately, the legislature was able to restore some of their budget, but the impact on the council's operations will be significant.
• Texas - In 2003, the legislature voted to eliminate all funding for problem gambling programs in the state. A total of $375,000 had been allocated through the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse to the Texas Council on Problem and Compulsive Gambling. These funds supported a statewide crisis help line and prevention and education efforts, which now have been discontinued indefinitely until new sources of funding can be obtained.
• Nevada - The legislature again failed to pass a bill that would have established a $150,000 fund for problem gambling prevention and treatment. (This is not actually a reduction of funding, since the state has never allocated funds for problem gambling services in Nevada.) 

On a positive note, there is an occasional exception to this trend. The most notable and newsworthy of late is the establishment in California of the Office of Problem and Pathological Gambling. Funded with $3 million from tribal governments, the office in the next two years will launch a program to provide education and referral services for persons with gambling disorders. The office will eventually contract for treatment services as well.