Do you gamble frequently? Take the National Gambling Disorder screen
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Tuesday, March 12 is National Gambling Disorder Screening Day, a one-day event held annually to help people determine if they might have a gambling disorder and should seek further assessment.
Gambling disorders lead to financial, emotional, social, occupational, and physical harm, yet many cases of gambling disorders go undetected, due to limited assessment of this problem.
Gambling disorders can have far-reaching consequences, and National Gambling Screening Day aims to address this by emphasizing the importance of early detection and intervention.
“It’s really about raising awareness of problem gambling and gambling disorder and working to start the conversation around what that is, what are some signs that there may be a problem associated with gambling behaviors, and also then refer back to what resources are available locally,” explained Amanda Quintana, Player Health Manager at Colorado Lottery.
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Some of the warning signs of problem gambling include: wanting to gamble more frequently or for longer than you initially intended, or if someone’s having a hard time sticking to their time or budget limits.
“Lying is another big warning sign that we see associated with the disorder,” Quintana said.
The Colorado Lottery is educating the community on the importance of playing safe, no matter what game of chance you play.
“There are a number of different gambling opportunities available,” Quintana explained. “We do have the lottery. There is also sports betting, casinos, racing, but there are other types of gambling that sometimes aren’t considered, like raffles or bingo.”
Gambling Disorder Screening Day is not new. It was started by the Cambridge Health Alliance of Massachusetts and is now recognized internationally.
“It’s important to have a brief screen because we want to make sure that we have something that is accessible to all audiences,” Quintana said.
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Screening Day addresses the imperative to detect gambling-related problems as early as possible. The simple questions help people know if they should seek additional help. If one answers yes to two or more of these, they might have a problem. Questions like:
During the past 12 months, have you become restless, irritable, or anxious when trying to stop/cut down on gambling?
Have you tried to keep your family or friends from knowing how much you gambled?
Have such financial trouble as a result of your gambling that you had to get help with living expenses from family, friends, or welfare?
How would you describe your relationship with gambling right now? (multiple choice)
You can take the survey on recognizing gambling-related problems here.
Once completed, individuals can take proactive steps toward addressing any potential gambling-related concerns and access support services.
If you or someone you know is suffering from a gambling-related problem, consider talking to someone about it. By calling 1-800-GAMBLER (426-2537) you can speak to someone at the hotline to help you or direct you to local resources.
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