Tuesday, February 25, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

GAMBLING: Betting addiction measure debated

Bill would set up account for programs to help problem bettors

CARSON CITY -- Nevada gambling addicts could get treatment instead of jail time for nonviolent crimes, under a bill discussed briefly Monday by the Senate Finance Committee.

Senate Bill 42 also would set up a special $250,000 account for programs to help people deal with gambling addictions. No state money now goes directly to such programs.

The bill is similar to one that died in committee in the 2001 Legislature. Finance Chairman Bill Raggio, R-Reno, pledged to revisit the issue later.

Raggio and Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, also said problem gambling goes beyond casinos to golf courses and other games.

"I've known degenerate gamblers all my life," Coffin said.

Gambling industry expert Bill Thompson says SB 42 would be a "breakthrough" for the state in dealing with a problem that is more widespread in Nevada than other states.

A state study found that about 3 percent of Nevadans have pathological gambling problems. About 1 percent of Americans have such addictions.

Other states have included gambling addictions in special mental health courts that provide for treatment, but none has addressed the issue directly, said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Whyte said the bill would be a significant first step for Nevada.

"It's an important sign that the state is interested in addressing this problem," he said. "The state has a role just as the industry has a role."

Casinos and the American Gaming Association have donated millions to universities to study what they call "problem gambling."

Thompson and Carol O'Hare, head of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, said they're hoping for more from Nevada lawmakers.

O'Hare is reserving her group's support for another measure that would establish a new licensing process for gambling addiction counselors.

She said such a provision was a priority.

"(That way) not only can people in Nevada get treatment, but they can be comfortable knowing that they're getting good treatment," she said.

Thompson is hoping for more state money for gambling addiction treatment programs.

"Think serious money," the University of Nevada, Las Vegas professor said. "Think millions."

However, Thompson said well-targeted spending, including promotional campaigns and voluntary casino exclusion programs, could reduce social costs of compulsive betting.

He led a recent study that pegged social costs of gambling addictions in the Las Vegas area alone at $300 to $900 million.