Problem Gambling Statistics Nz

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PROBLEM GAMBLING RATES HAVE PLATEAUED The New Zealand 2012 National Gambling Study found that the number of people who regularly participate in continuous forms of gambling (like gaming machines) decreased from 18% in 1991 to 6% in 20128. Under NZ law (The Gambling Act 2003) if a person is identified as having a gambling problem to an operator of a class 4 gambling venue (A casino or any venue with a pokie machine), the operator may issue an exclusion order for that person. If the gambling venue operator has reasonable grounds to believe a person is a problem gambler they must.

Gambling, for some people, is a leisure activity that offers a night out on the town enjoying time with friends and family, with a distant possibility of winning money. For other people, the stakes are higher. After all, gambling is a $40 billion dollar industry in the United States. In Las Vegas alone—the unofficial gambling capital of the world—the casinos bring in over 10 billion dollars from people placing bets. Though many of those people only gamble once in awhile, there are people who make gambling the center of their universe. In other words, they are addicted to gambling.

The temptations to gamble are everywhere and you don’t need to be in a casino to try your luck. Every state in America, with the exception of Utah and Hawaii, offer some type of legalized gambling—from old-school slot machines to sports-betting apps and everything in between. The accessibility to gambling has only amplified with the Internet. Based on various surveys in recent years, it is estimated that two million people in the US are addicted to gambling. But that figure has the potential to increase at anytime, because those same surveys revealed as many as 20 million people noting that their gambling habit had begun to interfere with their work and social life. That type of behavior falls into the category of “compulsive gambling,” which is the stage before gambling addiction.

What is Compulsive Gambling?

“The shortest version is that compulsive gambling is, as its name implies, a compulsion,” says Lance Dodes, MD, author of THE HEART OF ADDICTION: A New Approach to Understanding and Managing Alcoholism and Other Addictive Behaviors. “Compulsive gambling leads to an addiction, which is a psychological symptom that is well-understood and treatable with psychotherapy oriented toward that understanding. It is not a biological, genetic or moral issue, and it is not fundamentally different from other compulsive behaviors or addictions.”

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Usually, people start out gambling for fun, and then they lose money they didn’t mean to, and they end up chasing that loss until all their money is gone. And in many cases, people are gambling because they have faced emotional and financial losses and they are trying to console themselves.

There is a misconception among many people that problem gambling, another term for gambling addiction, is not a big deal. “Most people don’t realize that problem gambling is a real disorder, just like alcohol or drug addiction,” says Shelia Moran, director of communications and marketing at First Choice Services, a nonprofit agency in West Virginia dedicated to mental health issues and problems. “They think it’s just a bad habit that can be easily ended. The good news is that we find most people who get treatment are able to successfully stop gambling.”

Gambling and Co-Existing Mental Health Conditions

Sadly, it is estimated that over 80% of people who suffer from some type of gambling addiction never seek treatment, no matter how bad their problem is. Other statistics reveal that while there are people who do seek treatment for their gambling addiction, over 70% end up returning to the world of betting. People with this type of disorder are more likely to suffer from other types of mental health and substance abuse issues. Many gamblers also have an alcohol disorder or addiction, and over half were nicotine dependent.

The emotional toll it takes on people is devastating, and in many cases a gambling addiction can also bring bouts of depression, and in extreme situations may lead to suicidal thoughts or tendencies. People with a gambling addiction are also prone to anxiety, high stress and extreme sadness. When a gambler loses everything, their life will suddenly become hopeless and they fear what the future might bring.

Gambling Addiction Symptoms and Signs

As with other addictions, there are warning signs to look out for. These include:

Keeping gambling habits a secret
Having trouble controlling their gambling habit
Continuing to be involved with a gambling habit when they cannot financially afford to do so.
Resorting to illegal activities to pay for their gambling habit

Physical symptoms of excessive gambling include problems sleeping, weight gain or loss, dark circles under the eyes and extreme headaches.

How can you tell if someone has a gambling disorder? The American Psychiatric Association has developed guidelines and says that a person requires at least four of the following issues to take place during the past year:

A person feels the need to gamble with an increasing amount of money in order to achieve the desired excitement.
A person becomes angry, restless or irritable when someone tells them to cut back on their gambling, or to stop it altogether.
A person will have unsuccessfully tried to cut back or stop gambling on their own.
A person has frequent thoughts about gambling, including reliving past gambling adventures, planning their next gambling outing, and thinking of ways to get money to gamble with.
A person will often gamble when they are feeling distressed.
After a person loses money, they return to try and “get even” (referred to as “chasing” one’s losses)
A person will not hesitate to lie to hide their gambling activity.
A person will jeopardize or lose a significant relationship, job or educational/career opportunity because of gambling.
A person will begin relying on others to help with money problems caused by their gambling habits.

Treatment Options for Gambling Addicts

If you suspect that someone in your life is addicted to gambling or a compulsive gambler, you should know that there is help. Here are treatment options to consider:

“Behavior therapy and cognitive behavior therapy are recommended for compulsive gamblers,” says Katie Hurley, LCSW. “Behavioral therapy uses systematic exposure to the behavior to teach skills to reduce the urges, while cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on identifying unhealthy and irrational thoughts and replacing them with positive/adaptive ones. Family therapy is another option,” Hurley explains.
Apps can help instill healthy habits and encourage consideration of events and emotions that lead to compulsive behaviors. Addiction AVERT app can help curb cravings. BreakFree can help people who use their smartphones to gamble spend less time on their phone.
Adaptive coping strategies like exercise, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness, and meditation are all positive options. There are even meditation apps that can help anyone who doesn’t know where to start.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, as of 2016, there are no FDA-approved medications for the treatment of gambling disorder. There is, however, emerging scientific research that has shown that medications can be effective in reducing the intensity of urges and cravings for gambling.

Finally, Gamblers Anonymous has been beneficial in the lives of people who have an addiction; however, they must first admit they have a problem, which is often times the most difficult thing to do. If someone is unable to find an accessible chapter of Gamblers Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous addresses many of the same behaviors.

Just as anyone can become addicted to gambling, anyone can stop.

'It is encouraging tonote that over 85% of clients reported they had lost lessmoney in the four weeks prior to their reassessment than inthe four weeks prior to their first assessment.' saidBarbara Phillips, the Ministry's Minimising Harm GroupManager. 'Problem gambling services do work, and for thosewho have reached crisis point these services provide aninvaluable and sometimes lifesaving source of assistance.'

Problem gambling statistics nz population

Key figures from the 2007 report include;
• TheGambling Helpline's higher number of new clients worked outat a 9.8% increase from the number of new clients in 2006(2648). A substantial increase in the number of interestedother clients (24.4%) was also evident.

• The primarymode of harmful gambling cited by most new Helpline clientsand new gamblers who had sought face-to-face help remainednon-casino gaming machines in 2007 (75.6% and 66.8%respectively), with slight increases for both since 2006(74.9% and 64.8% in 2006).

• The substantial majority(89.1%) of new female gambler face-to-face clients reportedtheir primary mode of gambling as electronic gaming machines(casino and non-casino).

• Less than half (44.8%) of newHelpline gambler clients were New Zealand European/Pakeha,with Maori and Pacific peoples continuing to beover-represented in problem gambling statistics.

TheProblem Gambling Intervention Services in New Zealand:2007 Service-user statisticsreport is available on theMinistry's website athttp://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/pagesmh/8237

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

What is included inProblem Gambling Intervention Services in New Zealand:2007 Service-user statistics?
Problem gamblingIntervention Services in New Zealand: 2007 Service-userstatistics summarises the number of people seeking help fromspecialist problem gambling services funded by the Ministryof Health. It has been, and continues to be, an importantcomponent of gambling monitoring in New Zealand. Itprovides some insight into the “sharp end” ofgambling-related harm; the modes of gambling associated withit, and the help-seeking behaviour of problem gamblers andtheir significant others.

What is the Helpline?
Gambling Helpline Limited (the Helpline – 0800 654655) is a national free telephone service that providessupport services for those affected by gambling problems,and refers people to face-to-face problem gamblingintervention services.

What is problem gambling?
Problem gambling is a pattern of gambling behaviour thatdisrupts and damages a person’s life, their friendships,family relationships and job interests.

What was theprimary mode of problem gambling cited by problem gamblingclients in New Zealand in 2007?
Non-casino gamingmachines (pokies) were the primary mode of problem gamblingfor the majority of people using services. This was theprimary mode of problem gambling for 75.6% of Helplinegambler clients and 66.8% of face-to-face gambler clients. A substantial majority of female face-to-face clients(78.7%) cited non-casino gaming machines as their primarymode of problem gambling.

Do face-to-face interventionservices reduce the harm of problem gambling?
Overhalf of follow-up clients had substantial improvements inmental health and well-being related to their gamblingbehaviour following face-to-face intervention. This wasindicated by improvements in their sense of control, areduction in the amount of money lost, and lower SOGS-3M*scores.

How many problem gamblers are there in NewZealand?
At any given time, between 0.3% and 1.8% ofadults in New Zealand are likely to score as problemgamblers on standard questionnaires, that's between about10,000 and 50,000 people. Analysis of the 2006/07 NewZealand Health Survey estimated that one in 19 were at lowrisk and one in 50 were at moderate risk of their gamblingbeing a problem. However, a further 0.6% of gamblers metthe criteria for problem gambling, equating to 13,000adults, or 0.4% of the total New Zealand adult population.The behaviour of each severe problem gambler is also likelyto affect between 7 and 17 other people to some degree.

What is being done to encourage more people to seekhelp for problem gambling behaviours?
The Ministryof Health continues to fund the Health Sponsorship Council(HSC) to develop and produce the ‘Kiwi Lives’ mass mediacampaign. The campaign highlights the damaging effect ofproblem gambling in homes and communities in New Zealand.

The Ministry of Health also funds research, such as theAuckland University of Technology’s study on barriers tohelp-seeking behaviour for problem gamblers and theirfamily/whânâu.

Does a change in the number of peopleseeking help with Ministry of Health funded problem gamblingservices indicate a change in problem gambling prevalencerates?
Not necessarily. As with other addictions,only a small proportion of people with gambling problemsseek help through Ministry of Health funded problem gamblingservices. A change in presentation patterns may notaccurately reflect the wider problem in New Zealand.

Problem Gambling Statistics College Students

What should I do if I’m concerned someone may havegambling problems?
If you are concerned aboutsomeone who may have gambling problems you can approach thefollowing services for advice:
• Face-to-face problemgambling counselling services, such as the ProblemGambling Foundation or Oasis
• Helplinessuch as Gambling Helpline (phone: 0800 654 655,website: http://www.gamblingproblem.co.nz)

*The SouthOaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) has been adapted to measure theclient’s gambling behaviour in the three months prior toassessment (SOGS-3M). A score of 3 or greater indicates aclient may be considered a problem gambler (Abbott M &Volberg R. 1991. Gambling in New Zealand: Report to theDepartment of Internal Affairs. Wellington: Departmentof Internal Affairs.

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