Combating Problem Gambling

“Problem gambling is gambling behavior that causes problems for the gambler In that they (problem gamblers) gamble too much or too often, they feel guilty about their behavior and it causes problems for themselves and other people. Recreational gamblers are people who gamble in a responsible fashion and who see gambling as a form of entertainment not a way to make money. Its leisure or a recreational activity and it needs to be seen like that. “.

“Problem gamblers chase their loses: what that means is they will go back the next day to try recoup the money they have lost whilst  a recreational gambler will regard it as the cost of the entertainment for the evening  or afternoon. If you start to eat into your savings, household or transport etc to gamble that’s a sure sign that you seeing the beginning of a gambling problem” Dr Rodger Meyer

Please tell us who you are and what you do?
I am Dr Roger Mayor the treatment director for the National Responsible Gambling programme, which is an organisation that exists in South Africa to manage problems relating to the gambling industry. We do public education around problem gambling in an attempt to minimise the damage caused by gambling. And then the national responsible gambling provides a telephone helpline and treatment services for problem gamblers or their families.

 
What is problem gambling?
Problem gambling is gambling behaviour that causes problems for the gambler, in that they either gambling too much or too often. They feel guilty about the behaviour and it causes problems for them or other people. Then they are those who gamble in responsible fashion, they keep gambling as a form of entertainment and not as a way to make money and that’s very important. People who are going to gamble need to see it as entertainment, once you see it as a way to make money, to solve your debt problems then you’ve got a misimpression of what the activity is. It is a leisure activity, it’s a recreation activity and needs to be seen as that.
Problem gamblers chase their losers and what that means is they will go back the next day to try and get back the money that they lost. A good gambler will regard it as the cost of entertainment for the evening. When you start taking your household budget to gamble that is a sure signs that you seeing the beginning of a gambling problem. They are guidelines for safe and responsible gambling and we would suggest that people who choose to gamble do their best to follow these guidelines. Some people resort to fraudulent behaviours to fund the gambling in believes that the next win is just around the corner and the going to gamble them out of debt. As a result it causes divorce, depression and lots of damage in people’s lives.  Sadly some of them resort to criminal behaviour, charged with all sorts of crime charges. Seek advice, counselling or support to help you on how you should deal with the problem.
In most cases the person will deny that they have problem gambling and refuse help because they are completely in a fantasy about their problem gambling behaviour. Our programme provides service whereby we can help family members set up what we call an intervention, where you can confront the problem gambler in your family in the view to persuading them to seek help. I would advice family members without any hesitation to call our counsel line service, whereby we would then refer them unto one of our treatment professionals, who will then assist the family member in devising a strategy to approach or confront the problem gambler with a view to persuading them to get some help.

 
What help is available for problem gamblers?
In South Africa we are extremely fortunate to have the national responsible gambling problem, which is a free professional community based treatment service for problem gamblers. We provide a 24/7 telephone counselling line service which is 0800 006 008 and I would encourage other gamblers or their family members to call us at any time if you are concern, even to discuss the problem with one of our trained telephone counsellors.
Then the second intervention that we provide is a treatment programme for problem gamblers who are serious about addressing their behaviour and then the help line service will then refer the caller to one of our treatment professionals and we have at nearly 70 professionals around the country. Who take the problem gamblers through a six session outpatient treatment programme, so the systems, counselling and treatment for problem gambling is available in most areas of the country.