WHAT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PROBLEM GAMBLING Mary Ann Dearborn, LCSW Problem Gambling Prevention Coordinator for Tillamook County – 3/9/2010

Who is in the TLC webinar audience? Astoria Branch Seaside Branch Tillamook Branch Lincoln City Branch Newport Branch Total attendees participating in pre-/post-survey N=30 POLL

Why are we here? Hint: If you read the articles ed to you, you may have an idea of how problem gambling can negatively impact your customers and/or your financial institution. POLL

Gain a basic understanding of problem gambling and how financial institutions can help reduce risks for customers and the organization. Objective

TALKING POINTS / SURVEY.

Problem Gambling Awareness Survey You’ve already done the pre-survey. Please mark the correct post-survey answer on your survey form as I review each of the 25 statements. Then, forward the completed survey form to your institution’s Tillamook Office (Attention: Trina Lessor). Thank you for participating in this survey!

True or False?  1. Gambling is betting anything of value (money, property, food, etc.) on the outcome of an event.  Answer: True  2. Buying a raffle ticket or paying to play a game to win a prize at the county fair is not gambling.  Answer: False  3. People who bet on sports, cards, dice, or other games at home or in the community are gambling.  Answer: False

True or False?  4. Problem gambling can result in less time spent in usual family, friend, home, school, work or community activities.  Answer: True  5. Identifying a problem gambler is as easy as identifying a problem drinker.  Answer: False

True or False?  6. Increased borrowing/credit activity and having less/no money to pay food, etc., can occur when a person continues to bet money despite losses.  Answer: True  7. Online gambling can result in serious problems, whether or not money is required to play.  Answer: True  8. Problem gamblers rarely commit illegal acts in order to keep on gambling.  Answer: False

True or False?  9. Gambling online is safe because you know you’ll get paid and you don’t have to worry about credit card fraud, identity theft, or other undisclosed financial crimes.  Answer: False  10. One in every twenty-five Oregon teens already has problems with gambling.  Answer: True

True or False?  11. Only people with a personal or family history of addiction are at risk for problem gambling.  Answer: False  12. To avoid becoming a problem gambler a person should know the odds of winning and follow basic rules of responsible gambling.  Answer: True

True or False?  13. Teens and adults who gamble are no more likely to engage in other illegal/risky behaviors than teens and adults who do not gamble.  Answer: False  14. People raised by parents who gamble are no more likely to engage in other illegal/risky behaviors than teens and adults who don’t gamble.  Answer: False

True or False?  15. A “big win” while gambling as a child or teen is a risk factor for adult problem gambling.  Answer: True  16. Brain development and function are associated with problem gambling.  Answer: True  17. Males and females are equally likely to become problem gamblers.  Answer: True

True or False?  18. Lying about gambling or the amount of time/money spent gambling is a sign of problem gambling.  Answer: True  19. Oregon teens are less likely to have problems with gambling than Oregon adults (age 18 and older).  Answer: False

True or False?  20. Older adults (people 65 years old or older) in Oregon rarely have problems with gambling.  Answer: False  21. Oregon teens who gamble are more likely to use alcohol or marijuana and have sexual intercourse than teens who do not gamble.  Answer: True

True or False?  22. The average amount of gambling debt incurred by the time an adult first receives problem gambling services is $10,000.  Answer: False  23. I know where I can get free, confidential information about problem gambling and problem gambling services.  Answer based on personal knowledge

Problem Gambling Survey, continued  24. I know the name of the agency in Tillamook that provides free, confidential problem gambling services for the gambler and her or his family members.  Answer: Tillamook Family Counseling Center – Jeff Taylor, LCSW, PG Counselor

Problem Gambling Survey, continued  25. I know the Oregon Problem Gambling Services website and help line that provides 24/7 info about problem gambling and free, confidential live chat, instant messaging and with professional certified problem gambling counselors.  Answer: MYLIMIT

GREAT ONLINE RESOURCES!.

WHAT CAN WE SEE? WHAT CAN WE DO?.

Adult Problem Gambler in Oregon  Problem gamblers in Oregon: 76,000 (estimate)  On entering problem gambling services…  Average age: ~45 years old  Average income: over $32,000 per year  Average gambling debt: more than $33,000  Equally likely to be male or female

Signs that a customer may have gambling problems  A marked difference between your customer‘s reported expenditures and debt load.  Your customer‘s bills are going unpaid even though, according to their income, they should be affordable.

Signs that a customer may have gambling problems, continued  Your customer‘s financial picture shows many credit card and/or ATM withdrawals; multiple withdrawals at bars, restaurants, and casinos are signs of concern.  Your customer is showing an increase in requests for personal loans or debt consolidation.  You ask your customer about gambling, but he or she is vague about the amount of time and money spent gambling.

If you know a customer is gambling, ask… 1. Do you spend more money on gambling than you mean to? 2. Do you spend more time gambling than you mean to? 3. Do people in your family or your friends express concern about your gambling? 4. Do you have concerns about your gambling?

IF THE ANSWER TO EVEN 1 OF THOSE 4 QUESTIONS IS “YES”…  Encourage your customer to learn more about the risks of gambling and how gambling can impact her or his financial picture.  Suggest that he or she speak to a professional (i.e., call the Oregon Problem Gambling Helpline or log on to the website.

Vulnerable Adult Financial Abuse If your customer is elderly or because of disabilities is dependent on others for help with his or her finances, and if the customer’s finances are being compromised by a relative or other person with account access, it is considered vulnerable adult abuse and should be reported. The number for Oregon Adult Protective Services is in your telephone directory.

An employee’s problem gambling...  Usually, lost time and lost productivity  In extreme cases, theft, fraud, or embezzlement Gambling may be going on during work hours, with the gambler using the workplace as a shield to hide problem gambling from family members. This puts managers and coworkers in the position of being a first line of defense – to identify the problem gambler before he/she become desperate.

10 Workplace Signs of Problem Gambling 1. Work performance deteriorates – the person is preoccupied, has trouble concentrating, is absent from or late for meetings and misses assignment deadlines 2. Frequent, unexplained absences or disappearances from work 3. Eager to organize and participate in betting opportunities

10 Workplace Signs of Problem Gambling, continued 4. Pay is requested in lieu of vacation; large blocks of vacation time aren‘t used 5. Frequently borrows money, argues with coworkers about money that is owed 6. Complains about mounting debts 7. Excessive use of the telephone and Internet for personal matters

10 Workplace Signs of Problem Gambling, continued 8. Experiences mood swings, often related to winning and losing streaks 9. Credit card or loan bills are mailed to work rather than home 10. Increasingly spends more time gambling during lunch hours and coffee breaks Of course, these may signs of problems other than a gambling problem. Don’t accuse or label the person. There are better things you can do...

What your organization can do  Awareness training: Supervisors and employees need to be able to recognize the signs of gambling problems and know how to respond.  Policy statements: Incorporate the topic of gambling into relevant policies such as Internet use, phone use, and disallowed activities during work hours.

What your organization can do, continued  Use your Employee Assistance Program: Check with your EAP to be sure it routinely screens for problem gambling and is aware of Oregon‘s free treatment.  Make information available about the Problem Gambling Helpline: 877-MYLIMIT or 1877mylimit.org. Brochures and posters are available free by calling Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is open to family members whether or not the gambler is involved.

What your organization can do, continued  Make financial counseling available: It is important that financial counseling be made available to employees who are in a fiscal crisis.  Monitor the money stream: Some occupations involve direct contact with money; in other occupations money can be “moved.” These occupations might be considered high-risk for the problem gambler; a monitoring system can protect employee and employer.

Did you know...?  Unlike treatment for other addictions, problem gambling counseling involves direct intervention on the customer‘s financial situation. It is common to remove fund access for these customers and place it in the hands of a spouse or other responsible person.  The gambler and his/her spouse or other responsible person work with the problem gambling counselor to develop a plan that does not enable the gambler and is also not abusive. the gambler needs to develop a relationship with ‗ real‘ money again, because while they [sic] are compulsively gambling, money loses its real meaning. ‖

Developing a relationship with “real” $  Through services offered by a problem gambling counselor, the problem gambler can develop a relationship with “real” money again, because part of the problem with problem gambling is that when compulsively gambling, money loses its real meaning.

WHAT DO WE WANT TO SEE?

The practice of responsible gambling TEN RULES OF RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING 1. If you choose to gamble, do so for entertainment purposes - If your gambling is no longer an enjoyable activity then ask yourself why you are still “playing”? 2. Treat the money you lose as the cost of your entertainment - Treat any winnings as a bonus.

10 RULES OF RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING, continued. 3. Set a dollar limit and stick to it - Decide before you go not only what you can “afford” to lose, but how much you want to spend. Do not change your mind after losing. 4. Set a time limit and stick to it - Decide how much of your time you want to allow for gambling. Leave when you reach the time limit whether you are winning or losing.

10 RULES OF RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING, continued. 5. Expect to lose - The odds are that you will lose. Accept loss as part of the game. 6. Make it a private rule not to gamble on credit - Do not borrow money to gamble. 7. Create balance in your life - Gambling should not interfere with or substitute for friends, family, work or other worthwhile activities.

10 RULES OF RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING, continued. 8. Avoid “chasing” lost money - The more you try to recoup your losses the larger your losses will be. 9. Don’t gamble as a way to cope with emotional or physical pain - Gambling for reasons other than entertainment can lead to problems.

10 RULES OF RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING, continued. 10. Become educated about the warning signs of problem gambling - The more you know, the better choices you can make. Are you or someone you care about unable to follow these rules? Help is available at the Oregon Problem Gambling Helpline/Website for the gambler and for his/her family members (with or without the gambler’s involvement) mylimit or 1877mylimit.org

Free supportive services for recovering problem gamblers are available near you Gamblers Anonymous Regular Meetings at Tillamook Serenity Club 5012 Third Street, Tillamook

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month Learn about problem gambling. Share what you learn with others. Visit this national problem gambling awareness website:

THANK YOU!.

Presenter Information & Handouts Mary Ann Dearborn, LCSW Problem Gambling Prevention Coordinator for Tillamook County  Problem Gambling Prevention Brochure  Narrative (article): What Financial Institutions Need to Know About Problem Gambling  10 Rules of Responsible Gambling  Problem Gambling Myths/Facts