Gambling Addiction & Recovery Support Group
Compulsive gambling is an urge or addiction to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. A preferred term among many professionals is problem gambling, as few people described by the term experience true compulsions in the clinical sense of the word. Problem gambling often is defined by whether harm is experienced by the gambler or others rather...
Goodhope had started a thread about a gambling addict who had been successful so far in practicing controlled gambling after a period of abstinence. I got curious, and googled, and found Wall Street Journal article from last year regarding changes made in the self-banning restrictions in Missouri. Hope4acure and I exchanged some comments, but since I didn't want to completely hijack goodhopes thread, I decided to start a new one, including hope4acure's posts.
The idea that CG's can evolve into responsible gamblers is being promoted from high (and broke) places.
From the Wall Street Journal: (my editorial comments in parenthesis)
The **Missouri Gaming Commission**(Surprised?) voted unanimously Wednesday to allow gamblers to soon drop their self-imposed, state-enforced lifetime bans from state casinos, the latest move by a state to roll back safeguards aimed at protecting problem gamblers.
The commission unanimously approved a measure that would allow gamblers to opt out of their ban five years after signing up. Nearly 11,000 of the more than 16,000 people who have banned themselves from Missouri casinos will be eligible to gamble again as soon as the rule change takes effect in April. Advocates for problem-gambling programs had opposed the move (Yeah, but who from the gaming commission is going to want to listen to the advocates of the CG's - the folks providing the vast profits to the casinos?)
*****The moves were made as state governments balanced efforts to protect gambling addicts with the need to address fiscal woes . In addition, the gambling industry argued that the rules did little to curb gambling addiction.****** (O.M.G. Just O.M.G. So, they want to fix the state's fiscal woes by sucking money from addicts? How low can you get? )
James Mathewson, chairman of the five-member*** Missouri Gaming Commission***, said ahead of Wednesday's vote that he wanted to give another chance to banned gamblers who said their circumstances had changed.(What circumstances? They have some money now??? And Why? Because they're not GAMBLING IT AWAY!) He also said he and his colleagues believed a five-year suspension rather than a lifetime ban would encourage more problem gamblers to sign upa notion with which some problem-gaming experts agree. Mr. Mathewson said the change wasn't aimed at raising revenue.(LMAO!!YEAH RIGHT!!! And I have a bridge I'd like to sell you....)
To remove themselves from the list, banned gamblers must fill out a one-page document and submit it to the commission's office. Their removal doesn't require approval, said commission spokeswoman LeAnn McCarthy.(Nope, no approval needed! Easy breezy process!)
"It was voluntary on and it's voluntary off," she said. (Um, yeah, voluntary on, a tough decision made in a moment of lucidity by a CG, followed by long, difficult recovery, then you say "Hey, c'mon back! We trust that you have "fixed" your problem. And if you haven't, well, you're helping to build our profits AND fix the state's financial woes. So, it's all good either way. Here, I'll show you where the ATM is!")
Can you tell I'm a little livid? "
The idea that CG's can evolve into responsible gamblers is being promoted from high (and broke) places.
From the Wall Street Journal: (my editorial comments in parenthesis)
The **Missouri Gaming Commission**(Surprised?) voted unanimously Wednesday to allow gamblers to soon drop their self-imposed, state-enforced lifetime bans from state casinos, the latest move by a state to roll back safeguards aimed at protecting problem gamblers.
The commission unanimously approved a measure that would allow gamblers to opt out of their ban five years after signing up. Nearly 11,000 of the more than 16,000 people who have banned themselves from Missouri casinos will be eligible to gamble again as soon as the rule change takes effect in April. Advocates for problem-gambling programs had opposed the move (Yeah, but who from the gaming commission is going to want to listen to the advocates of the CG's - the folks providing the vast profits to the casinos?)
*****The moves were made as state governments balanced efforts to protect gambling addicts with the need to address fiscal woes . In addition, the gambling industry argued that the rules did little to curb gambling addiction.****** (O.M.G. Just O.M.G. So, they want to fix the state's fiscal woes by sucking money from addicts? How low can you get? )
James Mathewson, chairman of the five-member*** Missouri Gaming Commission***, said ahead of Wednesday's vote that he wanted to give another chance to banned gamblers who said their circumstances had changed.(What circumstances? They have some money now??? And Why? Because they're not GAMBLING IT AWAY!) He also said he and his colleagues believed a five-year suspension rather than a lifetime ban would encourage more problem gamblers to sign upa notion with which some problem-gaming experts agree. Mr. Mathewson said the change wasn't aimed at raising revenue.(LMAO!!YEAH RIGHT!!! And I have a bridge I'd like to sell you....)
To remove themselves from the list, banned gamblers must fill out a one-page document and submit it to the commission's office. Their removal doesn't require approval, said commission spokeswoman LeAnn McCarthy.(Nope, no approval needed! Easy breezy process!)
"It was voluntary on and it's voluntary off," she said. (Um, yeah, voluntary on, a tough decision made in a moment of lucidity by a CG, followed by long, difficult recovery, then you say "Hey, c'mon back! We trust that you have "fixed" your problem. And if you haven't, well, you're helping to build our profits AND fix the state's financial woes. So, it's all good either way. Here, I'll show you where the ATM is!")
Can you tell I'm a little livid? "
: Wow, just WOW!
The reason the passed this bill is for one reason, they want every last cent we've got! They know that if you go back you will lose and the money goes into their pockets.
Well, I have a message for these damn greedy SOBs in Missouri that passed this: HELL NO I WON'T G0!!!!!
You have it right resolved and I find this to be beyond despicable!
WOW!! Had to say that again, WOW!!!! "
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
AND THEN TAKE EVERY PENNY THEY'VE GOT!!!
I'm so pissed. Can you imagine what would happen if the ATF decided to join with the bar owners associations and say that alcoholics just need a period of abstinence and then they can drink responsibly again, because the states need the income from bar patrons? Umm, don't think that'll ever happen. Because people UNDERSTAND that alcoholics are addicts, have a disease, and wouldn't ever expect them to try controlled drinking. But gambling? No, the public perception is that it's just a matter of self-control....and not only do we have to fight our addiction every day, we also have to fight that perception.
I'm SO MAD!!! "
It seems that there must be a way to get even with these SOBs.
How about writing a letter to them and tell them what you think and MAIL IT TO THEM via the U.S. postal service so they will know that you mean business (when they see you actually wrote a letter, addressed an envelope and paid the money for a stamp -- that often makes them pay a lot more attention to your letter than an email from who knows where?).
The reality behind this is the economy in this country. It is in sad shape and has been in sad shape for a number of years now (10 years of wars without end will do that to a country!).
Anyway, the bottom line is that Missouri must be having a lot of financial problems so they figure that perhaps they can recover their own "losses" so to speak by letting people back into the places that have become so disgusted with this problem that they simply walked away and signed papers on top of it to keep themselves away.
They do not honor this!
You are right, it is like letting an alcoholic into a bar for a free drink which is the very last thing they need, esp. after having to perhaps spend time in jail, end up broke, etc. ... the same thing as we see with the gambling symptoms wise is far to many respects.
These two addictions go hand in hand.
I should have known better myself but did not realize it until it was becoming a problem for me.
I'm still glad I took that damned fall in July because it still has me so disgusted and angry that I have no desire to ever go back!
Thank you for this info.
Being I have roots in Missouri myself, I may well write them one of my "letters"!!!! "
There are almost 4 and a half million adults in Missouri. But these *11,000* people who can now go back to the casino would have enough impact on the states fiscal woes to justify endangering their recovery from an addiction that leads to complete and total self-destruction?
I did the math. Conservatively, if 10,000 of them return, each losing $100 per week (like I said, conservative!) then the profits to the casinos would be 52 million a year! And the state would reap a good percentage of that. Chances are, those numbers are really really low estimates.
And this isn't about profits? Selling out your citizens who have spoken LOUD and CLEAR that they have no control over their gambling? This is not about individual freedoms, no one is saying that all casinos should be shut down, this is about protecting those who have taken extreme measures (self banning) to help them overcome a devastating addiction.
Yeah, I'm on a roll....please forgive me if I post like a maniac today! "
#2 -send an email. You can find your Senator and congress online, if you do not know who your Senator/Congress person is you can call your local newspaper, and they should be able to give you that information.
#3 -CALL your Senator/Congress person. All of these people have a number that you can call [as far as I know an 800 #], as they like to keep in touch with their 'constituents".. and when you get done there. Here is another address and phone #
The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500 202-456-1111