AN INFORMATION RESOURCE FOR THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON PROBLEM GAMBLING WINTER 2007 • VOL. 10, ISSUE 4

insi

de 4Affiliate Profile: Wisconsin 5 Pioneers in

the Field: Kathleen M. Scanlan

9The Counselor’s Corner: IGCCB 10The

GTECH Apprentices

Executive Director’s Letter: Outreach Efforts

President’s Message: Organizational Growth

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(Executive Director, continued on page �)

I still remember the summer of 1962, when my older brother suddenly grew. Weeks from going back to school, he and my parents suddenly real-ized his old clothes no longer fit him, his pants were too short, and he had become taller. I also recall how his voice changed and how he seemedmore assertive. He had new friends, with whom hespent more time and relied upon more. Lookingback, my brother had experienced a “growth spurt.”

As each of us ready to wrap up 2007 and embark on a New Year, we each anticipate what might lie ahead and what we hope we can bring into the New Year. For the National Council on Problem Gambling, 2008 will bring exciting challenges. As I look at my NCPG presiden-tial crystal ball, graciously passed on by Rachel Volberg, Chuck Mau-rer and Paul Ashe before me, I see that 2008 will bring NCPG, what I can best describe as a “growth spurt.”

This growth spurt actually began last summer, when the NCPG Board of Directors passed the 2007–2014 NCPG Strategic Plan, and its 14 goals for this organization’s future. Since that time, NCPG has been greatly served by the work of the NCPG Transition and NCPG Bylaws Committees. The NCPG Transition Committee, akin to a good driver’s education instructor, has already begun to anticipate how best to help NCPG organizationally prepare and anticipate how to steer straight. This past November, the members of the Transition Committee held a working weekend meeting in Chicago. During their meeting, they drew together the Strategic Plan Goal Summaries submitted by the Affiliates, Personnel, Nominations & Elections, Helpline, NPGAW, Research, Federal Affairs, Finance, Communica-tions, and several other NCPG committees.

Meanwhile, the NCPG Bylaws Committee, much like a humble high school coach who quietly spends hours and hours working out the

One of the main objec-tives for the National Council is to providepublic awareness and out-reach on problem gam-bling issues. Throughout the year the staff worksextremely hard in a varietyof ways to communicate

and advocate on behalf of problem gamblersand their families. Members may not be awareof many of these efforts, so I would like to provide a few recent examples.

Regulatory agencies are increasingly asking for our help when addressing problem gam-bling issues. I have recently worked with the Nevada and Illinois affiliates to provide formal responses to regulators questions. In September, Nevada Council Executive Direc-

tor Carol O’Hare and I testified before the Nevada Gaming Commission regarding a proposal to place an ATM on a bank of slot machines. Our primary concern about was the lack of research that would allow regula-tors, operators and advocates to assess poten-tial impacts. The Commission voted unani-mously (5–0) to reject the proposal.

The Illinois Gaming Board asked NCPG and the Illinois Council to comment on their proposed regulations to require identification for all patrons. I worked with Illinois Coun-cil Executive Director Alex Roseborough to develop a statement, drawing on the work of our Issue Brief on Voluntary Exclusion. The statement acknowledged the shared responsi-bility for effective exclusion among gaming operators, regulators and individuals who self-exclude and noted that from the effec-

tiveness of a ban would likely be enhanced by checking identification of all patrons. The Gaming Board has not made a final decision on the proposal.

Our outreach efforts also include urgent campaigns to protect irreplaceable resources. One such event occurred last month, when we intervened with less than 24 hours to stop the scheduled destruction of over 30 years worth of data on veterans who had been treated for gambling problems at the Brecks-ville, OH Veterans Administration Medical Center. I was able to call on contacts in Congress and Federal Agencies, as well as work with Ohio Council on Problem Gambling staff to develop a coalition at the national and state levels. The records were archived, though we continue to moni-

� National Council on Problem Gambling

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intricate plays and play book that ultimately help the team be successful, have spent well in excess of 100 hours, and produced the integrated plays and playbook to help NCPGsteer straight through to reach its’ 2007–2014Strategic Plan Goals.

In February, the NCPG Board of Directors will meet to approve the necessary changes inNCPG’s Bylaws, so the organization can beginto undertake the 14 goals of the 2007–2014 NCPG Strategic Plan. As NCPG moves forward, clearly 2008 will be a time of orga-nizational transition. As NCPG goes through this organizational change, we may suddenly find our old clothes no longer fit, our pants are too short, and over the summer, we’ve become taller! Fortunately, our cautious drivers education instructor has provided us our very own instructional manual, to help us steer straight toward NCPG’s 14 goals.

NCPG’s organizational growth spurt will also mean, and perhaps most importantly mean, a change in our peer relationships. We are about to learn how important our peers are to us, how important their opinions can shape us, and how much we can count on their counsel. NCPG’s organizational growth spurt challenges us to focus on our relation-ship with our organizational peers, whether they are Affiliate Members, Individual Mem-bers or Corporate Members. Our growth spurt provides us new opportunities to en-hance our relationships and expand our communications within and among all our NCPG committees.

I remember how my brother initially felt a bitself-conscious, when he realized he was sud-denly taller. However, by the fall of 1962, andwith the support and encouragement of my parents, my brother grew in self-confidence. He was optimistic about his future, and sud-denly aware of possibilities he’d never before imagined for himself. I believe NCPG is prepared for 2008, and its resulting organiza-tional growth spurt. I look forward to 2008, and to seeing each of you at the NCPG Midwinter Board of Directors Meeting.

Happy New Year!

Dennis P. McNeilly, SJ, PsyD President, National Council on Problem Gambling

tor the situation and hope that eventually this trove of data will be made available to the public. All three of the statements are available on the NCPG website.

The Affiliate Members are crucial partners in outreach efforts on the state level. NCPG worked with the Kentucky Council on Prob-lem Gambling to staff a booth at the recent World Lottery Association/North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries World Meet, held in Louisville, KY. The event drew 1,400 lottery leaders, vendors and media and was a good opportunity to pro-mote responsible gaming. NCPG received complimentary booth space and furnished the booth, while the Kentucky Council staffed the booth and distributed both group’s materials. Thanks to KCPG’s Execu-tive Director Mike Stone for his help and hard work on the booth, and to Clint Harris and Andy White at NASPL and Arch Gleason and Chip Polston at the Ken-tucky Lottery.

Finally, our website continues to play a major role in our out-reach efforts. And regardless of the efforts we make to reach out to individuals and organizations, one of the most important markers is the number of websites that choose to link to us. This was brought home dramatically last month at a meeting in London. Tim Christensen, Rachel Volberg and I were the only three Americans among the 50 or so attendees at the Responsibility In Gambling Trust confer-ence. Conference organizer Corinne May-Chahal of Lancaster University created the following images using IssueCrawler—a software program that identifies inlinks, out-links and relationships between websites. She entered in all the websites of the attendees(95 percent of whom were not from the U.S.)and the program identified results from a 10-hour crawl which searched for all gambling websites linked to explore how they linked to each other. It found that the most networked (in linked and outlinked) website among all the attendees at this British gambling confer-

Figure 1.

ence was ours! Needless to say I was quite surprised but pleased, as were Tim and Rachel. Figure 1 shows the NCPG links in detail.

I hope that you are proud of our efforts and results—your membership reflects a commit-ment to our goal of providing hope and help for problem gamblers and their families. As we reach the end of December, I would like to thank every member for your support and look forward to working with you in the New Year.

Sincerely,

Keith S. Whyte, Executive Director

National NewsNATIONAL COUNCIL ON PROBLEM GAMBLING

The National News is published by the National Council on Problem Gambling.

National Council on Problem Gambling 216 G Street, NE, Suite 200 Washington, DC 20002

Office 202-547-9204 Fax 202-547-9206 ncpg@ncpgambling.org www.ncpgambling.org

Executive Director: Keith Whyte

Program Manager: Linda Abonyo

Administrative Assistant: Melissa Martin

Toll-Free Helpline (800) 5��-4700 �

The conference has been expanded to three full days with six plenary, six poster and 55 breakout sessions.

• Registration covers 3 Continental Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 6 Networking Breaks, Opening Reception and Town Hall Forum on Internet Gambling

• Registration includes CD and hard copy of all presentations

• Advanced Clinical Training & Supervision Track

• Gaming Industry Track

• Criminal justice, regulation and legal issues

• Non-clinical skills sessions, including “how to” sessions on advocacy/lobbying, public speaking

• Community Day with a track dedicated to recovery and community issues. A special one-day fee will allow recovering and community members to attend.

Up to 22 hours of CEUs!!!

Long Beach is the waterfront center of Southern California. But it’s more than just a pretty beach—close to several airports and a short distance from Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood and everything Southern California has to offer—Long Beach is the perfect destination!

NCPG Members receive 20% discount on registration!!!!

Updated conference registration, hotel, presentation and schedule is available at www.ncpgambling.org/conference

March 9-15, 2008This is your week…if there’s something you want

to see for 2008 TELL US!!!

Any requests, suggestions or general feedback can be sent to npgaw@ncpgambling.org

www.npgaw.org

2008 NCPG Board of Directors & Committee

Midwinter MeetingFebruary 15–17, 2008Dallas Fort Worth Marriott

Irving, Texas

For more information, please contact NCPG at ncpg@ncpgambling.org

4 National Council on Problem Gambling

Affiliate Profile:Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling

Book Bag“Beyond The Glitz And Glamour Of Las Vegas: Death And Addiction”

By Rosemary A. Cunliffe NorthThis is the true story of a woman’s worst nightmare that comes true with the loss of one of her children. The author’s only son, Andrew, is brutally and senselessly murdered in Las Vegas at the age of 21. Throughout the capture, trial and sentencing of her son’s murderer, Rose perseveres. After all of this, the author shuts everyone out of her life, including her daughter and husband, whom she forgets how to love.

In order to escape the harsh reality of a world without her son, the author starts spending a lot of time at the casino gambling on slot machines. Her addiction to gambling begins slowly, but she quickly becomes obsessed with a powerful compulsion to gamble. She recounts some of the ways she obtains the means to gamble, risking her family and harming relationships with those who love her. After years of gambling she finally ad-mits defeat and says, ”I’m Rose, and I am a compulsive gambler.”

Rose finds recovery through the 12 Steps of the Gamblers Anonymous program. She finds her lost spirit, her family, and her Sav-ior Jesus Christ all with a much deeper love for her family and a better understanding about her addiction to gambling.

The Wisconsin Council was founded in 1993 and became an Affili-ate in 1994. Their official website is www.wi-problemgamblers.org. Rose Gruber is the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling. The WI Council has three full-time employees and ten current volunteer with a budget between the amounts of $100,000 to $500,000.

Mission statement: The Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling promotes public awareness and education on problem and pathologi-cal gambling disorders while maintaining strict neutrality on the issue of legalized gambling.

What are some of your major programs? 24 hour helpline, annual conference in March, 60-hour training toward problem gambling certification, school curriculum for middle and high school, public awareness programs on bill boards, bus ads and exhibiting at other conferences.

What has been your most successful/popular program? The 24 hour helpline.

What is the program you would most like to develop in the future? We have started programs in the correctional system. We would like to do more work with the school system.

What has been the greatest obstacle to helping problem gamblers in your state? The fact that there are no treatment dollars and money in general available for problem gambling.

What are some of your projects that you would like to share with other Affiliates? We would like to share anything we have and we would like to help others in any way we can.

What does your Council get out of your membership in NCPG? The networking and connections with other Council’s projects and the latest research/information on problem gambling.

Operations and Policy Analyst 4

(Problem Gambling Services Manager)

We are pleased to announce that the position of Problem Gambling Services Manager is now open. This is an “open until filled” recruitment; however, the hiring manager may choose to close it at anytime. The first review of applications will occur dur-ing the week of November 12, 2007. If interested, apply now.

This employment opportunity is with the Addictions and Mental Health Division (AMH)/Problem Gambling Services, which is part of the Depart-ment of Human Services (DHS). There is one full-time opening located in Salem, Oregon. This position is management service and is not rep-resented by a union.

This recruitment announcement will be used to establish a list of qualified candidates to fill the current vacancy and may be used to fill future vacan-cies as they occur.

For qualifications, materials and benefits, go to http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/jobs/LEHS7758.shtml

Beyond the Game: Nevada Seniors and Problem Gambling

The University of Nevada, Reno Center for the Application for Sub-stance Abuse Technologies has recent-ly produced a DVD and informational booklet titled “Beyond the Game: Nevada Seniors and Problem Gambling.”

To read the full-text story, please visit http://www.unr.edu/news/detail.aspx?id=2399.

You can also click the link at the bottom of the story to watch an ex-cerpt from the DVD.

Florida Council Seeks Deputy Director

The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling is currently seeking a Deputy Director with the opportunity to advance to the Executive Director position in the near future.

Salary Range: $60–$70K based upon qualifications, plus full benefits.

For additional information on this opportunity, contact Jennifer Campbell at jcampbell@gamblinghelp.org

Toll-Free Helpline (800) 5��-4700 5

Pioneers in the Field: Kathleen M. Scanlan

Adapted from the A&E Behind the Actors Studio Bernard Pivot questionnaire:

What is your favorite word? Bonjour!

What is your least favorite word? Can’t

What sound do you love? My cat purring

What sound do you hate? Cell phones ringing in public places

What profession other than yours would you like to attempt? Classical musician (maybe cello?)

What profession would you not like to participate in? any mathematics-related career

Each issue of the NCPG National News will feature an interview by Executive Director Keith Whyte with a pioneer in the problem gam-bling field. We hope these profiles will help capture the extraordinary depth of knowledge, compassion and volunteerism that characterizes those involved with the National Council on Problem Gambling. It is also important to reflect on our past and assess current activities in light of our history in order to best fulfill

our mission as the national advocates for programs and services to assist problem gamblers and their families.

Kathleen M. Scanlan has been with the Massachusetts Council on Com-pulsive Gambling since 1987, serving first as Program Director and later becoming Executive Director in 1998.W orking with Tom Cummings, the Council’s Founder and first Executive Director, Ms. Scanlan createdand implemented a network of services and programs to educate the publicand clinicians alike about problem gambling and provide ways for people with gambling problems and those who care about them to find informa-tion about the disorder and referrals for help. Scanlan and Cummings advocated, not only for services to address problem gambling, but also forresponsible public policy related to gambling in the Commonwealth. Underher leadership as Executive Director, Ms. Scanlan has led the Council in achieving many milestones in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Harvard Medical School and other agen-cies. Examples include: producing Practice Guidelines for Treating Gambling-Related Problems, the first evidence-based guidelines for clinicians treating problem gambling; creating a self-directed guidebook, Your First Step to Change, for people with gambling problems who are not able to access traditional modes of treatment; and developing Facing the Odds: The Mathematics of Gambling, a middle school curriculum that explores gambling from a mathematical perspective.

Through the development of policies and procedures, Scanlan has strengthened the Council’s infrastructure, managed a 1�� percent increase in its annual budget from 1998 to �004, advocated for and secured state funding for problem gambling services in Massachusetts through the legislative budget process and recently began to lead the agency through a five-year strategic planning process. For this work, she has often been recognized in the field, winning numerous awards and serving in many leadership capacities.

Ms. Scanlan received her M.A. from Boston College and B.A. from the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY. Prior to joining the agency, Ms. Scan-lan had been the Executive Director of a small non-profit agency serving women in crisis. She has also worked for the Archdiocese of Boston as a Regional Director for its Religion Education Department, has taught French in several schools and still enjoys using the language and traveling to France today. Ms. Scanlan is an active member of the Newburyport Choral Society.

Q: How did you get involved in problem gambling?A: In 1987 I saw a Boston Globe help wanted ad for a program director at the Mass. Council on Compulsive Gambling. Not know-ing anything about compulsive gambling at the time, it struck me as somewhat humorous. However, through the interview process and meeting Tom Cummings, I learned of the seriousness of the issue and the lack of resources for help. The Council and I found we were a good match for each other, and I was hired for the job.

Q: How did you get involved with the National Council?A: The Mass Council had been an affiliate of the National Council since 1983. Early on when I joined the Mass. Council, I attended a National Council Conference in New York City. (I think it was at John Jay College with about 50 in attendance.) I became more familiar with National Council members when the Mass. Council and Harvard Medical School/Division on Addictions spon-sored a national Think Tank on Compulsive Gambling in 1988 and the majority of participants were National Council members.

Q: How has the problem gambling field developed since you started?A: It’s a totally different field from when I began this work. With the increased availability of gambling, there is much more awareness and interest in the issue. With the work done by the Councils and others, there are many more resources available to those seeking help for a gambling problem, and availability of research has grown signifi-cantly. Overall, the field has become more professional.

Q: What are some of highlights of the last 10 years?

A: Collaboration with the gambling industry on a common problem; A trend toward increased funding for problem gambling Increased media attention to problem gambling Legislatures considering gambling problems when debating increased gambling Expanded research

� National Council on Problem Gambling

National Helpline Report3rd Quarter 2007

In each issue of the National News the National Council on Problem Gambling will provide an overview of the calls placed to the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network (800-5��-4700) for the previous months along with a summary of the total calls received year to date.

The National Problem Gambling Helpline Network is a single nation-wide point of access network comprised of 27 call centers, with several centers answering calls for multiple states. Each call center is staffed with professionals who are fully trained to deal with problem gambling calls including those in crisis situations.

Since January 2007, the National Helpline has received nearly 225,000 calls. The month of January continues to depict the highest call volume with more than 22,000 calls placed to the National Helpline; a 10% increase from January 2006. Overall, this quarter saw an 7% increase in calls volume from July through September 2007 in comparison to last quarter.

The National Problem Gambling Helpline Network is a 24/7, 100% confidential resource that provides hope and help to problem gamblers and their loved ones. The helpline number (800-522-4700) can be dialed toll free anytime and anywhere in the United States as well as from various parts of Canada and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Helpline Network Call Volume – 3rd Quarter 2007

Helpline Calls 2006 vs 2007 Month-to-Date

Featured Program:FCCG’s New Educational Publications

The Florida Councilon Compulsive Gam-bling has recently released several publi-cations. Dealing with Addiction is a joint effort by the Florida Council on Com-pulsive Gambling and the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association. The Dealing with Addiction toolkit addresses the topic of cross-addiction and the link between problem gambling, substance abuse and mental health issues. The toolkit, which is prepared on a mini computer disk and is packaged in a self-mailer, includes a 15-minute video featuring recovering persons dually addicted, as well as experienced clinicians in the field, research, problem gambling assessment screens across age groups, a PowerPoint presentation geared toward service providers, and more. The video presentation is intended for use within sub-stance abuse facilities in client waiting rooms or during individual or group sessions.

Las Caras del Problema de Juego is a docudrama in Spanish that de-picts realistic scenarios about individuals whose impacts from gam-bling are shown from various cultural perspectives within the Latino/Hispanic community. This brief 10-minute video provides viewers with an inside glimpse as to how problem gambling affects individu-als and families and is narrated by the cashier in a local bodega. The video is accompanied by the Agency’s Hispanic brochure, El Juego Compulsivo: Compréndalo, Reconózcalo, Trátelo (Compulsive Gam-bling, Understand It, Recognize It, Treat It).

The FCCG’s “Playing it Safe” kit enables senior services providers to present the topic of gambling and older adults effectively and cre-atively. While there are many options and approaches presenters can use, ranging from a Senior Jeopardy game (just like the TV show-via PowerPoint program), to a docudrama with accompanying presenta-tion materials, the packet supplies information that may be used fordiscussions ranging between 15 minutes to more than four hours time.

The FCCG is completing the packaging of its Toolkit for Parent and Teacher Associations, which will be released in the near future, as will the new program for college students. The FCCG’s Students Against Gambling Addiction (SAGA) Program is a comprehensive initiative for college campuses and includes materials for resident advisors, peer advocates, financial aid personnel, guidance counselors, coaches, student athletes, and more.

Toll-Free Helpline (800) 5��-4700 7

Assessment Tool Applies Equally for Different RacesScience Daily — “With African-Americans and other minority groups having both problem and pathological gambling rates that are 2–3 times higher than Caucasian gamblers, accurate diagnosis is essential to treat gambling addiction,” says Renee Cunningham-Williams, Ph.D., a leading gambling addictions expert and visiting associate professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis. Unfortunately, as with other mental health disorders, African-American and other minority groups receive disparate care from symptom recognition and diagnosis through treatment.

In a first step to close this gap in care, Cunningham-Williams success-fully led the development and testing of a new assessment tool, the Gambling Assessment Module (GAM), to determine the reliability of current pathological gambling disorder (PGD) criteria. Cunningham-Williams’ findings in the July issue of the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease show that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM)’s current criteria for PGD (DSM-IV), when assessed through the GAM, has substantial reliability. The PGD diagnosis applies equally well for Caucasians and African Amer-icans and for game-specific disorders after adjusting for age and social class differences.

According to Cunningham-Williams, although early results are promising, more research is required to definitively conclude that the DSM-IV or earlier established DSM criteria, in conjunction with the GAM, are a reliable tool for diagnosing racial/ethnic minorities.

“The DSM, as operationalized through the GAM, appears to be a useful first step in addressing racial/ethnic disparities in this disorder,”she says. “In order to appropriately plan for treatment, clinicians must

be confident in their abilities to reliably diagnose this disorder. Our research is a first step in helping clinicians achieve that confidence.”

The GAM is the only existing instrument that diagnoses problem gambling across both the American Psychiatric Association’s and the World Health Organization’s criteria. It also is the only assessment in the world that can determine a diagnosis that is specific to the game a person plays.

“A person may play the slots, cards and the horses and be a pathologi-cal gambler, but experiences the symptoms only for slot machines,” Cunningham-Williams says. “This is similar to a drug user, who uses several drugs, but only meets the criteria for cocaine dependence.”

In this study, Cunningham-Williams and colleagues asked Caucasians and African-Americans about their gambling behaviors while care-fully controlling for potential study biases. Two separate interviewers asked gamblers about their gambling behaviors in the exact same way, in two separate telephone interviews held about one week apart.

“When discrepancies in responses between the two time periods were evident, they occurred infrequently and were not due to racial/ethnic variation,” she says.

Cunningham-Williams’ current research focuses on the various be-havioral treatments for this disorder, the important ethnic and cul-tural factors that may influence gambling behavior, and how gam-bling addiction is associated with other mental health and substance use disorders among adolescents, young adults and older Americans.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Washing-ton University in St. Louis. © �007 Science Daily

Online Responsible Gambling Code of Conduct LaunchedOctober 3, 2007, Barcelona — A new global responsible gambling code of conduct to address online gambling procedures is today launched at the industry’s EiG conference in Barcelona. The code—presented today to the leading online gambling jurisdictions by senior figures from GamCare, eCOGRA and the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) isdesigned to act as a set of minimum standardsthroughout the industry and, it is hoped, increase levels of protection for players.

Covering Underage Gambling, Player Protec-tion Measures, Customer Communication, Advertising and Promotions, as well as Staff Training, the code’s creation followed an in-formal industry roundtable earlier in the year,initiated and hosted by the industry’s largest software supplier, Microgaming. While many jurisdictions already provide for a compre-hensive set of standards in these areas, Gam-Care, eCOGRA and the RGA hope the code will be adopted as the uniform minimum

standards that will provide clarity for players and operators from across the globe.

Detailing 30 key points, the code took sev-eral months to draft and is based on the RGA’s social responsibility code. It was for-mally agreed by the key associations at a meeting in London in September. The tim-ing of the launch has been set to not only coincide with one of the industry’s biggest gatherings, but also follows the launch of the UK Gambling Commission’s white list, which goes some way to protect UK players in terms of advertising.

Andrew Poole, Managing Director, GamCare Trade Services, said: “GamCare hopes that the adoption of this code will better enable the gambling public to make informed decisions with regards to their remote gam-bling participation, secure in the knowledge that operators are required by condition of licence to protect the welfare and enjoyment of their customers.”

Andrew Beveridge, CEO, eCOGRA, added: “eCOGRA certified sites have been required to comply with similar standards for the past few years and by continually verifying their compliance, we know that these standards are effective when it comes to protecting the players.”

Clive Hawkswood, Chief Executive, RGA, also commented: “The promotion of respon-sible gambling and the adoption of appropri-ate safeguards are fundamental to the long term success of the online gambling industry. As the industry develops it will inevitably come to be regulated in more jurisdictions. In those places and others where regulation is already being developed I would commend this code to them. It is based on the best industry experience and, more importantly, the expertise of GamCare.”

8 National Council on Problem Gambling

New British Gambling Prevalence SurveyThe British Gambling Prevalence Survey is a large-scale nationally representative survey of participation in gambling and the prevalence of problem gambling in Great Britain. It builds on the first British gambling prevalence survey carried out in 1999, which was commis-sioned by GamCare.

The survey was undertaken to help the Commission understand the nature and scale of gambling in Great Britain at a point before the Gambling Act 2005 was implemented on September 1, 2007.

Key FindingsParticipation in gambling activities

• 68% of the population, that is about 32 million adults, had par-ticipated in some form of gambling activity within the past year. This compares to 72% (about 33 million adults) in 1999.

• For around 10 million people, their only gambling activity in the past year had been participating in a National Lottery draw. In 1999, this figure was 11 million.

• Excluding people who had only gambled on the National Lottery Draw in the last year, 48% of the population, or about 23 million, had participated in another form of gambling in the past year. This compares to 46% (about 22 million adults) in 1999.

The most popular gambling activities in Great Britain in 2007 were: the National Lottery Draw (57%); Scratchcards (20%); betting on horse races (17%) and playing slot machines (14%).

Only a small proportion of people engaged in the new forms of gambling available in Great Britain:

• 6% of people used the internet to gamble (3% did online gaming like playing poker or casino games and 4% placed bets with a bookmaker

• 3% used fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs)

The Prevalence of Problem GamblingThe survey measured the levels of problem gambling using two inter-nationally recognized scales, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM IV) and the Canadian Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI).

The DSM IV screen found that the rates of problem gambling in the adult population was about 0.6%, this equates to about 284,000 adults. This is the same percentage of the population the same screen identified in 1999. The PGSI screen identified 0.5% of the adult population with a gambling problem, or around 236,000 adults.

According to the DSM IV screen, the highest prevalence of prob- lem gambling was found among those who participated in spread betting (14.7%), fixed odds betting terminals (11.2%) and betting exchanges (9.8%).

Attitudes to GamblingPeople who responded to the survey were more negative than positive in their attitudes towards gambling. The average view was that gam-bling was more harmful than beneficial for individuals, and for society,and should not be encouraged. However, generally people surveyed agreed that there was a right to gamble and rejected total prohibition.

The complete study and 1999 report are available for download at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/Client/detail.asp?ContentId=�88

Gambling Addict Lured, Court Told

By Julia Medew

CROWN Casino lured a gambling addict back to its elite rooms after the man asked to be banned from the venue and confessed to staff he had fraudulently obtained money to fund his habit, a court has been told.

A lawyer for Crown Casino yesterday admitted staff offered HarryKakavas free money and free transport to return to the casino in 2005,despite a previous self-imposed ban on him attending the premises.

But Jeff Sher, QC, for the casino, said the multimillionaire Gold Coast property developer was never forced to accept its gifts or gamble his money.

“Every single time he had the capacity to refuse it,” Mr. Sher told the Victorian Supreme Court yesterday during an application to strike out Mr. Kakavas’ $30 million law suit against the casino. “No one made him gamble. Every time he did, he knew he might lose.”

(Court, continued on page 9)

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Toll-Free Helpline (800) 5��-4700 9

The Counselor’s Corner

International Gambling Counselor Certification Board AnnouncedThe National Gambling Counselor Certi-fication Board (NGCCB) will contribute clinical insight, policy recommendations or new research results that may benefit gambling counselors. Contributions from the field are encouraged. The NCPG admin-isters the NCGC program through a contract with NGCCB.

What’s In a NameThe National Gambling Counselor Certi-fication Board is proud to announce a name change. As of the first of January 1, 2008 we will be known as the International Gambling Counselor Certification Board. The simple reason for the change is the expansion of our credential to other nations.

The NCGC has been in use in Canada, Iceland, South America, Puerto Rico, Japan and soon Singapore. So it seemed to make great sense to the Board of Directors to ap-prove a name change to indicate the reciproc-ity and recognition of our credential in these other nations. To further our modest but growing international outreach we will add an additional seat to the Board of Directors in 2008 and welcome Nina Littman-Sharp

to the new International Gambling Coun-selor Certification Board.

We are very pleased to have received such positive feedback from those government and private agencies that have selected the NCGC/ICGC credential to represent evi-dence of gambling treatment knowledge, training and competent care.

The IGCC Board will continue to encourage clinicians to get involved in the gambling treatment field and offer clients from mental health and addiction services help with their gambling problems.

We are pleased to support an opportunity for counselors interested in the supervision process to take the six hour workshop at the upcoming National Council Conference in

(Court, continued from page 8)

Mr. Kakavas is suing Crown Casino and its chief operating officer John Williams for $30 million he claims to have gambled during a 14-month binge, which ended in August last year. He is also suing them for damages.

The court heard Crown offered Mr. Kakavas lavish inducements, including transportation on its private jet and hundreds of thousands of dollars to return to the casino in 2004 after he had obtained an exclusion order, banning himself from the premises in 1995.

His lawyer, Cliff Pannam, QC, said the offers,which included a promise of a 20 percent rebate on all losses, came after staff learned Mr. Kakavas had been betting and losing large sums of money in Las Vegas. “They deliberately set out to identify a punter they knew they could win large sums of money from,” he said.

Dr. Pannam said the enticements also fol-lowed the NSW Commissioner of Police banning Mr. Kakavas from Star City Casino in Sydney in 2000. He said the ban meant Mr. Kakavas could not legally enter Crown Casino in Melbourne and that any money he gambled thereafter should have been for-feited to the state.

In a fresh statement of claim tendered to the Victorian Supreme Court, Mr. Kakavas also claims he met senior staff at Crown Casino in late 1994 or 1995 to tell them he dis-honestly obtained $286,125 from Esanda Finance Corporation Ltd. to fund his gambling habit.

After hearing Crown’s argument to have Mr. Kakavas’ suit struck out, Justice David

Harper questioned whether he should be looking at policy regarding problem gam-blers.

“Pathological gamblers ought to be protected from themselves,” he said. “There’s a social responsibility for operators of these establish-ments to ensure that they do not actively create harm by their commercial operations.”

The hearing continues today.

Reprinted from The Age (Australia), September ��, �007, available at www.theage.com.au/news/national/gambling-addict-lured-court-told/�007/09/�5/119048��09999.html

Long Beach, CA. As we have done in previ-ous years a team of treatment experts will offer several sessions (totaling six hours) that will meet the requirement for “training in the supervision process” which is one of four requirements for Board Approved Clinical Consultant Status (BACC). Participants in the past have given the session great reviews and it is back by popular demand. We would suggest those interested register early since seating will be limited and we have had to turn away interested participants due to space constraints.

IGCCB will also have an exhibit table at the conference. You will find staff or volunteers there eager to welcome your interest in gam-bling counselor certification and answer any questions you may have about the process.

We hope moving forward together with a renewed spirit of cooperation and excitement about our growth and expansion will not only benefit our problem gamblers and their families in other nations but here at home as well.

NGCCB/IGCCB

10 National Council on Problem Gambling

Corporate Interns Conclude “The GTECH Apprentice;” Donate to the NCPG

The more than 30 GTECH Provi-dence and West Greenwich interns for GTECH worked hard to raise funds and host two successful charity events.

“The GTECH Apprentice,” as it was called, kicked off earlier this summer with an intern orientation. The in-terns were split into two teams and presented with a summer-long task.

They were expected to plan the event from start to finish including booking a venue, advertising, staffing, and pricing. It was decided that all profits from both events would go to the National Council on Prob-lem Gambling and they would work to educate GTECH employees on the new Corporate Social Responsibility program.

First Board MeetingThe interns filed into the Presentation Suite at GTECH Center to face “The Board,” a group of GTECH Managers and above selected to review and critique both teams’ presentation style and project status, and provide feedback in areas where they could improve.

“The KingPins” introduced a “Bowling for Bucks” event at a local bowling alley for GTECH employees and their families. They would solicit local businesses for donations (gift certificates, free passes, etc.) and would sell raffle tickets to win the collected prizes, charge an entry fee in order to participate in the event, and host a bake sale to raise money for the NCPG.

“Strides for Success” presented information about their event, a “RiverWalk.” Taking advantage of the prime downtown location of GTECH Center, the team decided to host a walk around Waterplace Park. Employees could take a break during the day to head outdoors, get exercise, and raise awareness for problem gaming. The team also would charge an entry fee and sell bracelets as fundraising methods.

After both presentations, it was the Boards’ turn to speak. Providing constructive criticism, each member of the Board asked questions to clarify the presentations and projects, gave advice on public speaking and appropriate presentation etiquette, and suggested ways to im-prove both the planning and execution of their events.

Second Board MeetingBoth “The KingPins” and “Strides to Success” reported on their progress since the first board meeting, and had a lot to present. This was the last board meeting before both groups’ events, so there was still a lot more to be done in order to be prepared for their big day.

“Bowling for Bucks” – July 25, 2007More than 60 bowlers turned out for the event, ready to lace up theirbowling shoes and hit the lanes. The atmosphere was great as GTECHemployees and their families bowled, snacked on pizza, listened to facts about responsible gaming, and won raffle prizes. Awards were given to the best individual bowlers and best-scoring team.

“RiverWalk” – August 2, 2007The day was extremely hot as more than 30 GTECH walkers headed outside to enjoy a walk around Water-place Park. As they proceeded on the mapped-out route, interns stood at different locations to provide in-formation about responsible gaming. While the heat may have kept some walkers inside, “Strides to Success” was pleased with their turnout.

Third and Final Board MeetingAlthough their events were successfully completed, the interns still hadone last board meeting to report their fundraising totals and how theirevents were executed. The presentations had again improved from the second board meeting as the interns told the story about the summer and their adventures in event planning. Together, both teams raised more than $2,000 for the NCPG—an impressive amount for theirefforts. Upon the conclusion of the final board meeting, the members of the Board congratulated the interns on a job well done, and ex-pressed their appreciation for being a part of the program. The interns,finally done with the summer-long project, were now able to focus on hitting their books and giving the corporate world a rest, for now.

25-Year Timeline of the New Jersey CouncilGambling Treatment & Prevention

1982 Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, Inc. (CCGNJ) formed at behest of New Jersey Department of Health, Division of Addiction Services

1983 Bob Klein named first Executive Director of CCGNJ, 1-800-GAMBLER 24-hour Helpline established, First Statewide Conference held – September 28, 1983, First outpatient gambling program at JFK Medical Center

1985 John Floyd becomes Executive Director

1986 Arnie Wexler becomes Executive Director, Position paper - Compulsive Gambling in New Jersey: A Plan For Action, First Awards Dinner held

1987 New Hope Foundation in Marlboro – opens first in-patient gambling treatment program

1988 August designated by Legislature - Compulsive Gambling Awareness Month, Crisis Intervention Program for gamblers at Atlantic Mental Health Center

1989 First Certification of Gambling Counselors by New Jersey Compulsive Counselor Certification Board, Governor’s Advisory Commission on Gam-bling Report issued

1993 State and Assembly resolutions honoring CCGNJ on 10thAnniversary

1995 Ed Looney becomes Executive Director, www.800GAMBLER.org website begins

1996 New Jersey Compulsive Gambling Counselor Certification Board name changed to American Compulsive Gambling Counselor Certification Board

1997 Association of Professionals Treating Problem Gamblers is formed, Gambling Away the Golden Years pamphlet, Senior Outreach Program begins

1999 Co-sponsored Regional Conference on Senior Gambling: A Growing Concern

2002 Registration of 1-800-GAMBLER© with US Patent and Trademark Office

2003 CCGNJ takes over distribution of money for treatment

2004 CCGNJ begins participation in National Problem Gambling Awareness Week

2005 CCGNJ develops GAP program, K–12 prevention program

Toll-Free Helpline (800) 5��-4700 11

Calendar of EventsFor more information on these events, please visit our website

www.ncpgambling.org

January 2008Indiana Problem Gambling Awareness Program: Phase I/IIDate: January 8–9, 2008Location: Indianapolis, INContact: Jennifer Kelley at jenkell@indiana.edu or 812-855-7831

Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling 11th Annual Educational and Awareness ConferenceDate: January 31, 2008–February 1, 2008Location: Holiday Inn North, Lexington, KYContact: Mike Stone at kmstone@mis.net

February 2008Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand: Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Pathological GamblersDate: February 20, 2008Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Auckland, New ZealandContact: John Skelton at john.skelton@pgfnz.org.nz

Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand: Public Health and Social Marketing Approach to Problem GamblingDate: February 20, 2008Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Auckland, New ZealandContact: John Skelton at john.skelton@pgfnz.org.nz

Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand: 2008 International Gambling ConferenceDate: February 21–23, 2008 Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Auckland, New ZealandContact: John Skelton at john.skelton@pgfnz.org.nz

2008 NCPG Board of Directors & Commmittees Midwinter MeetingDate: February 15–17, 2008Location: Dallas Fort Worth Marriott, Irving, Texas Contact: NCPG for more information at ncpg@ncpgambling.org

March 2008Indiana Problem Gambling Awareness Program: Phase III/IVDate: March 4–5, 2008Location: Indianapolis, INContact: Jennifer Kelley at jenkell@indiana.edu or 812-855-7831

2nd Annual Nevada State Conference on Problem Gambling Date: March 6–8, 2008Location: The Orleans Hotel - Las Vegas, NV Contact: conference@nevadacouncil.org

New NIDA Problem

Grambling Grant Award

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (soon to be the National Institute on Diseases of Addiction) recently award-ed a grant to Dr. Nancy Petry for her project “Brief Therapies for Problem Gambling Substance Abusers.”

Problem gambling is present in about four percent of the general population and up to 10–20 percent of substance abusers. Despite high rates of comor-bidity and adverse consequences as-sociated with problem gambling, few substance abuse treatment programs screen for gambling problems and even fewer provide gambling-specific treatment services. This project will evaluate the efficacy of two brief inter-ventions for individuals seeking treat-ment for substance use disorders who also have gambling problems.

In total, 220 problem gambling sub-stance abusers will be randomized to one of three conditions: (1) a control condition consisting of 10 minutes of psychoeducation about gambling, (2) 10 minutes of brief advice about prob-lem gambling and how to reduce it, or (3) four sessions of motivational and cognitive-behavioral therapy. The brief advice provides behavioral norms as well as prescriptive information about how to reduce gambling. The four-session intervention is designed to bolster motivation to change one’s gambling behavior and also provides skills training in identifying high-risk situations for gambling and practicing alternative responses to them.

All participants will receive standard substance abuse treatment at their respective clinics. Results from this study will provide important infor-mation regarding the efficacy of brief interventions for reducing gambling and related problems in substance abusers.

The project will end in May 2012.

We’re Ready to Listen.If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, give us a call.

The National Problem Gambling Helpline provides toll-free,

confidential help 24 hours a day.

1-800-522-4700

Non-Profit Org.

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National Newsletter Submissions

NCPG encourages submissions for the newsletter from its members. Min. Words: 150/Max. Words: 1,000. All requests must be submitted by March 7, 2008 for the next issue.

Send your submission to melissam@ ncpgambling.org or via mail to: NCPG, Attn: Melissa Martin, 216 G Street, NE, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20002.

Questions? Contact Melissa at 202-547-9204 or melissam@ ncpgambling.org.

216 G Street, NE, Suite 200Washington, DC 20002

Season’s Greetings