Oregon Gambling Addicts Receive Inpatient Treatment

Oregon will spend about $125 a day per person for inpatient gambling treatment and patients will be required to pay a percentage of the cost. An estimated 60,000 Oregon residents are addicted gamblers, and now the state is providing inpatient treatment to give some of them the help they need with their problem addiction.

The effort started with 7 state-funded beds contracted through Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare, a nonprofit organization that provides treatment for addiction, said Jeffrey Marotta, who coordinates state services for problem gamblers.

To qualify for care at the Salem clinic, the gambler must live in Oregon and exhibit at least five of the 10 characteristics of the disorder, such as lying to hide gambling activity or stealing to fund the habit. Gambling counselors from across Oregon will decide which of their clients require inpatient treatment, Cascadia officials said.

The average length of stay in the inpatient program is expected to be about thirty days. It will be staffed around the clock and will include three to four hours a day of group and individual therapy.

"People who have serious gambling problems tend to have very distorted view of money," says Rick Berman, Cascadia's director of addictions treatment. "They use credit cards, family money, mortgage the house. One guy sold an RV to three people."

Oregon will spend about $125 a day per person for inpatient gambling treatment, and patients will be required to pay a share of the cost.

The state, by law, directs one percent of lottery proceeds to treatment, which translates to about $4.6 million this year. A growing number of gamblers and their family members have sought help from state-subsidized outpatient centers, telephone counseling and short-stay programs.

An analysis of Oregon gamblers receiving state-funded treatment in 2003-04 found the average age was 44, and nearly have were women.

About 40 percent of those receiving treatment were married and owned their own home. The gamblers also reported an average gambling debt of about $24,000.

"A common recovery goal for gamblers is paying off debt caused by gambling and learning to live within their financial means," Marotta said.

July 26, 2006
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com    Previous Page | Internet Gambling | Top Online Casinos | Submit News!