And the survey says: Yes, problem gambling can be treated

By Liz Benston

Tuesday, June 5, 2007 | 6:52 a.m.

"They saved my life."

"For the first time I feel I am out of that vortex. I was spinning in it. I thought about gambling 24 hours a day, but I don't have that anymore."

- Problem gamblers telling researchers about the effectiveness of treatment programs.

The first research in Nevada to assess programs for problem gamblers found that most gamblers were able to stop gambling entirely after going through state-funded treatment programs, which helped them recover financially and emotionally and even saved some from suicide.

The research, paid for by state grants authorized in 2005, also found that for a handful of gamblers with other addictions, the gambling treatment also addressed those problems, such as compulsions to eat and shop.

"The moral of the story is that treatment works," said co-author Bo Bernhard, director of gambling research at UNLV and an assistant professor of sociology and hotel management. "The money we have spent seems to be working."

The results of the study justify the state's efforts to fund problem-gambling programs, Bernhard said. The research will be added to a multi state database comparing treatment efforts elsewhere.

Advocates say the results have ethical and financial implications for Nevada.

"This is evidence of what we've known for a long time - that this is an eminently treatable disorder," said Robert Hunter, a psychologist and clinical director of the nonprofit Problem Gambling Center in Las Vegas. "It makes sense at a humanitarian level to do something about this rather than pretend these people don't exist."

Carol O'Hare, executive director of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, said the study validates the long-held theory that it is more cost-effective for the state to treat people rather than leave them to their own devices.

"People in treatment will be able to deal with other problems in their lives," she said.

The agencies were among those receiving part of the $2.5million grant awarded through June 30. Nine programs in Nevada shared $1.4 million in grants going to treatment efforts. The rest of the money went to research, public education and training programs for gambling counselors.

The research was conducted by Bernhard in conjunction with Edward Crossman, a professor of psychology at UNLV, and Chad Cross, associate professor and director of the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program at UNLV's School of Public Health.

Researchers interviewed by telephone 75 participants in state-funded treatment programs who agreed to participate in the study.

Of the respondents, 90 percent said they liked the services they received, with all but one saying they would recommend the program to friends and family members.

More specifically, 81 percent said they were better able to control their lives after treatment, 67 percent said their financial situation had improved and 73percent said they had reestablished important relationships. Also, 84 percent said they were spending less time thinking about gambling.

Although those results are heartening for lawmakers and advocates, the conversations researchers had with gamblers were the most telling .

Among the responders: a table games supervisor who participated with his wife, who had racked up $25,000 in debts his family couldn't afford.

He said that after having experienced the program, he would refer gamblers to it. "It's definitely very desperately needed in this town," he said. "And I work in the industry so I'm not opposed to gambling, but there are so many people I see every day who are devastated and need help."

Some respondents said that gamblers aren't aware of the treatment programs available and that the available programs lack flexible hours and locations. Others called for additional services, such as family and one-on-one counseling, bankruptcy assistance and loan services.

The research comes with some caveats, authors said.

The responses may not be typical of all problem gamblers because most compulsive gamblers don't seek treatment, and only the most severe cases tend to enter programs. Also, people who consented to be part of the study may have felt more strongly about their treatment experiences, they said.

Researching treatment methods is as important as paying for treatment programs, O'Hare said.

"We need to be evaluating the treatment so that Nevada can contribute to the best treatment models out there. This is a lifetime commitment. You have to keep it going because there are always going to be people who need help."