SPRINGFIELD – While depending more and more on its citizens to bet more and more of their hard-earned dollars at video gaming parlors, casinos and other gambling outlets, the Illinois Department of Human Services says during the month of March it is "raising awareness for gambling disorder" while partnering with the gambling industry to focus on "Problem Gambling Awareness Month."
The Pritzker Administration's "problem gambling awareness" events will include gambling screenings on March 10th for National Screening Day, gambling presentations and open houses, workshops, and other public events. A full list of Recovery Month events can be found on the IDHS website.
Buildings in the city of Chicago will also be lit orange from March 1-7 to raise awareness.
Anita Bedell of Illinois Church Action on Alcohol and Addiction Problems says partnering with gambling companies to offer solutions for gambling addicts doesn't make sense.
"While it is important to raise awareness about problem and pathological gambling, partnering with gambling companies to do so is like inviting the fox into the hen house!" Bedell told Illinois Review.
Bedell pointed to an Atlantic Monthly that said, "Technological innovations have not only rendered electronic gaming machines wildly profitable; they have also, according to experts, made them more addictive. They’re creating problem gamblers as much as they are preying upon problem gamblers,” Natasha Schüll said.
After all, Bedell said, Governor Pritzker is actively encouraging more and more gambling.
"It is ironic that IDHS proclaims March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month, when the governor announced that sports gambling will become operational in time to bet on "March Madness", the college basketball tournaments," Bedell said. "Expanding so much gambling and making it accessible in homes and on cell phones will increase problem gambling and harm for Illinois residents and their families."
Still the state's IDHS Secretary Grace B. Hou says they hope to reach gamblers that are out of control with this one-month empahsis.
“Our goal for Problem Gambling Awareness Month is to increase the understanding of problem gambling and let individuals know that “We Know the Feeling” through our hotline at 1-800-GAMBLER and website at WeKnowTheFeeling.org,” said IDHS Secretary Grace B. Hou.
“Individuals who struggle with gambling disorders seldom seek help and often hide their behavior from family members. This month is an opportunity for IDHS and our providers to come together and continue to get the word out about the recovery support services that are available to them. We would like to thank our community partners for hosting events this month, and the Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago for lighting their buildings up orange to raise awareness."
Gambling legislation recently passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Pritzker has allowed the IDHS Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR) to increase the funding for new treatment resources, prevention, and outreach this year by approximately five times the amount that was approved last year. SUPR has increased the number of organizations that have gambling programs by 43%.
To learn more about gambling disorders, please visit WeKnowTheFeeling.org. If you or a loved one is struggling with gambling disorder, call 1-800-GAMBLER or text ILGAMB to 53342.
