Editorial: Facts show need for state role

Wednesday, March 27, 2002 | 8:37 a.m.

In early 1998, with the National Gambling Impact Study Commission using its own statistics to cast the gaming industry in a bad light, then-Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Bill Bible outlined plans for a major study of compulsive gambling. Nevada needed its own statistics, numbers it could trust, before determining whether programs were necessary.

The Gaming Control Board formed a panel and concluded after hearings that a state program was a worthy goal. The panel also realized it did not have the expertise to gather data regarding prevalence. In September 1998, the Interim Finance Committee approved $150,000 for a professional study, which was begun in March 2000 by Gemini Research of Massachusetts.

The results, released last week, show that Nevada leads the nation in the percentage of its population -- 6.4 -- that fits the profile of problem gamblers. The finding is not entirely surprising, of course, as compulsive gamblers are drawn to Nevada more than other states. But it gains meaning when considering a 1997 Harvard Medical School study, which concluded that just over 1 percent of the adult population nationally fits that profile. A 2000 study showed 2.1 percent in North Dakota and a 1996 study showed 4.9 percent in Mississippi.

Currently, the only problem-gambling programs in Nevada are those overseen by the gaming industry as mandated by conditions of their licenses. There is a 24-hour help line whose number (1-800-522-4700) is posted prominently in casinos and which serves more than 200 people a month. There are handouts providing information about the problem. There is training for casino employees. And casinos, upon a recipient's request, must stop sending direct mail promoting gambling.

Now that the extent of the problem is known, more needs to be done. Many states have multimillion-dollar budgets devoted to comprehensive plans. We expect the 2003 Legislature to take its study seriously, to take the lead in ensuring that Nevada keeps pace with programs nationally. A program would get off to a good start with these components: counseling provided by the state Mental Health Division, funding and expertise from the casino industry, help from non-gaming employers through their employee assistance programs, and individuals willing to volunteer their time. As there are no federal programs to combat this national problem (gambling has spread to 47 states), the state needs to fill the leadership vacuum.