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Recognizing the Signs of Problem Gambling

You may not realize it, there is a good chance that someone you know in your professional life has a gambling problem. If you are clergy or in healthcare or some other caring profession, you will want to have some ideas on how you can recognize the signs, and how to help.

You may also see the signs if you are a bank manager, loans officer or financial counselor. In fact, you may see the financial signs of a problem before a loved one is aware. Often, problem gamblers report that the biggest negative effect gambling has is on their finances.

Some Hard Facts on Problem Gambling

Based upon research funded by Health Promotion and Protection, we know that:

• In Nova Scotia, 90% of adults gamble - that's about 600,000 people.
• Of these, 35,000 are at risk to develop problems and 15,000 will have serious difficulties.
• On average, someone struggling with gambling will spend $6,981 a year, and someone with a problem with VLTs will spend $14,400 a year.
• 46,600 adults are directly affected by a family member's gambling problem - let alone the thousands of children.
• Less than 12% of Nova Scotians know about gambling treatment services. As a result, many who are experiencing problems do not get the professional help that they need.

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