Casinos knowingly breed Gambling Addiction to make a profit

Millions of people worldwide are trapped in financial and emotional despair due to their gambling addiction. Despite the growing problem, most casinos do not do enough to warn patrons of the addictive nature of gambling, and in fact many rely on gambling addiction to fuel the billion dollar industry.

Gambling addiction is found across all classes in society and does not discriminate based on age, gender, race or social status. In America, approximately 2 million adults meet the criteria for “pathological gambling”, or compulsive gambling, while millions more are problem gamblers.

The negative effects of gambling addiction are very real and the behavioral, social, and emotional consequences are similar to drug addiction. However, there are no physical signs that point to a gambling addiction and it is sometimes referred to as the “silent addiction,” as addicts can get to the point of losing it all before they or their family realise there is a problem.

Role of Casinos in Perpetuating Gambling Addiction

In the United States, lawmakers and the gambling industry have fuelled a rapid expansion of gambling by legalising Las Vegas style casinos in several states. Governments promote casinos as sure sources of income for hurting economies and promise they will provide more jobs and create revenue that will be put into schools.

However, when proposing to legalise casinos legislators do not talk about the money that will be needed to support gambling education and create gambling addiction treatment programmes. Some states do set aside money for these programmes as they begin to build casinos, essentially acknowledging the fact that by introducing casinos they will be creating new groups of addicts in the community.

Widespread government backing makes gambling seem harmless, and casinos are problematically touted as entertainment centres similar to ballparks and movie theatres. State governments downsize the dark side of allowing casinos to be built and never mention the destruction gambling addiction can cause.

A new report, and one of the few independent research reports conducted outside of the control of the gambling industry, gives an objective cost benefit analysis of introducing casinos into communities. The report concludes that the social and economic costs far outweigh any potential short term benefits, and that casinos are a regressive form of income for states that ultimately bring harm to communities.

Legislators argue that problem gamblers would still gamble and that casinos just concentrate the gambling in one place. However, casinos make the loss of money to gambling more systematic and widespread. They offer easy access and temptation for citizens to gamble closer to home and more often. People living within 10 miles of a casino are twice as likely to develop a gambling addiction as those who do not have access to this type of gambling.

Further, casinos are disproportionately dependent on problem gamblers for the majority of profits. Problem gamblers contribute to 40-60% of slot machine revenue. Slot machines are highly addictive and designed to persuade gamblers to spend more time on the machine and play until their money is gone. When people get hooked on gambling it creates financial security for the casino and despair for the gambler and his family.

According to Bill Kearney, a former gambling addict and avid anti-gambling campaigner, casinos operate like amusement parks with no safety belts on their rides — they offer no safeguards to help protect gamblers from becoming addicts. 

Current provisions such as posting the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline which helps refer people to gamblers anonymous groups and self-exclusion programmes, where people can opt to have themselves banned from casinos when they develop a problem, only address the issue after one has already become an addict. They do not work to prevent addiction from developing.

Policy Changes Needed to Help Prevent Gambling Addiction

Several measures can and should be taken to improve casino policies in order to help prevent gambling addiction from developing.

1. Restrict ability to gamble on credit.

One problem is the ease of access to cash and credit within casinos. Where cheque cashing is allowed, casinos use a third party system that guarantees the casino gets paid even when gamblers write bad cheques. This makes it too easy for people to break the law by writing and cashing bad cheques while they chase a slot machine they are sure will give them their money back eventually. Slot machines are, of course, designed to make the gambler think they are going to win, but always in the end, go in favour of the house.

Where cheque cashing is not allowed and casinos cannot provide credit, they often have ATM machines that will allow gamblers to take out cash advances on credit cards. In Australia, where more money is lost to gambling per individual than any other country, local gambling institutions freely offer $1000 credit to anyone who will accept it – as long as it is paid back within a week.

Of course, any time people start gambling on credit, problems are sure to arise. Legislation should take away gamblers' ability to use any form of credit for gambling within casinos, and at the very least make it illegal to offer credit specifically for the use of gambling.

2. Send out monthly comp-card invoices.

Casinos often offer comp-cards that track a gambler's every move in the casino and offer incentives and rewards to regular gamblers. ‘Comp' standing for ‘complimentary', these cards track the amount of money that you play at the casino. Each amount you play, you rack up points. For example, after 90 minutes of playing slots, you may be rewarded with a free t-shirt. But in those 90 minutes, you also would have had to spend close to 100 dollars on the slots – pretty expensive t-shirt, no?!

One proposed provision to combat gambling addiction would be to require casinos to send out monthly comp-card invoices to their patrons, so gamblers and their families can see just how much time and money was lost on gambling, and intervene before serious problems develop.

3. Limit hours of operation.

Many casinos are open 24 hours a day. A visit to a casino in the early morning hours will quickly reveal the dark side of gambling addiction. A casino's hours of operation can and should be restricted. If the place is closing, it will force gamblers to take a break – and hopefully once they are outside in the fresh air, they can reason with themselves and realise it was probably for the best that they have some time to give their wallets (and minds) a rest.

4. Post and distribute facts about gambling risks.

One Massachusetts casino offers brochures that give people information about the risks of gambling and the reality of their odds of winning — but the brochures are placed off the beaten track within the casino. Posting factual information about the realities of gambling addiction, how it develops, and a person's real odds of winning should be required and readily accessible within casinos.

5. Place limits on slot machines.

Slot machines are the most addictive and popular of gambling methods. In Australia, people can lose up to $1500 AUD in an hour on the pokies, and some legislators believe slot machines should limit how much money people can lose before they are kicked off the machine. Some suggest that if a gambler loses more than $150 in one hour, they cannot get back on a machine for 24 hours. This would give them some time to think about whether or not they should continue betting.

The bottom line is that gambling is an addictive form of entertainment and gambling addiction ruins lives just like alcoholism or drug dependence. Casinos unfortunately profit from people's compulsive gambling and currently do little to address or acknowledge the problem.

At Shafa Home we provide treatment for all substance and process addictions including gambling. Contact us today if you are struggling with compulsive gambling and need help. 

(These articles are the sole property of “The Cabin Chiang Mai”, they are its original authors.)

Is Marijuana Getting Stronger? Is it Becoming More Addictive?

In the last year or two we have seen the legalisation of commercial marijuana production and sale in various American states. In the lead up to this legalisation, and still today, there remains an ongoing debate about whether the legalisation of weed will have an effect on the amount of marijuana being smoked, as well as how it has already affected the levels of marijuana potency.

Reports across the world vary where the potency of marijuana is concerned; with professionals and researchers in Europe stating that the potency of their marijuana has remained relatively unchanged since the 1990s, and yet some research in America shows that the average marijuana potency in the country has more than doubled in the last 20 years.

So what does that mean? Has there, or has there not been an increase in the potency of marijuana in the last few years? If so, what are the factors that contribute to the discrepancies between continents? And what are the effects of the marijuana strains that are of higher potency?

Is Marijuana More Potent Now or Not?

The potency of marijuana is determined by measuring the THC levels in the weed, which is the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that gives the plant its ‘high'. In Europe, research has shown that THC levels in the marijuana being sold is about the same as it was in in the 1990s at about 6-8%. Only the Netherlands showed a slight increase in the THC levels of their marijuana.

The startling statistics in the States, however, suggest that the THC content has increased by something between 300-400%. Which is in great contrast to the statistics in Europe. The reason for the huge difference between the two continents is simply that in the 1990s the THC levels in Europe's marijuana was already between 6 and 8%, and so they have not increased much over the years - whereas in the 1990s in America, THC levels in marijuana were between 1 and 4%. The increase in potency in the United States merely means that now the THC levels have reached those of European standards.

What is driving the Huge Increase in THC Levels in the United States?

This is another topic that has been hotly debated by politicians, medical professionals and addiction treatment centers all over the country, with different parties putting the increasing THC levels down to different factors.

Many advocates for marijuana legalisation say that the increasing THC levels can be blamed on the prohibition of the drug as a legal substance. They state that because it is illegal in most states, dealers try and pack as much of the drug into a smaller volume in order to more safely transport it. They also say that making weed illegal is actually more damaging because users are unable to predict what level of THC they are going to be ingesting.

However, this point is contested by the parties fighting against the legalisation, as many of the legal dealers of marijuana are known to sell marijuana that has THC in the 20% level range. Their argument is furthered by the conception of the annual Cannabis Cup, which encourages competition between marijuana producers from all over the country. Experts try out the different kinds of marijuana and then select which one is the most potent from all the competitors.

THC levels have also increased due to a better understanding of cannabis growth methods, more knowledge on the facts about marijuana, and technological advancements that are allowing producers to grow crops of higher qualities and of higher potencies. Marijuana that used to be grown in closets and small backroom gardens under bedside lamps are now being produced in huge warehouses with high-technology machines and processes that ensure the potency and quality of the plants are as high as possible.

What are The Effects of Higher Potency Marijuana?

Obviously, increasing drug addiction problems are a big concern with the higher marijuana potencies that are becoming available, and many people say that the more potent the weed, the more likely it is that users are going to become addicted to it. This theory is somewhat supported by drug and alcohol abuse and addiction treatment centers that have seen an increase in admissions where marijuana has become the main addiction component. They have also found that the stronger the marijuana, the more reliant their patients are on the drug and that their psychological problems tend to be more pronounced.

However, on the other hand, it stands to reason that the more potent the marijuana is the less of it is being smoked. Users are smoking a smaller amount of marijuana because they are getting stronger highs in a shorter space of time. But many people still struggle to determine how potent weed is when they ingest it in the form of gum drops and cookies, and this is particularly dangerous for inexperienced users who may just keep eating, unaware that the drug will take some time to get into their system. This could result in paranoia and manic episodes in which the user could very easily find them self in the emergency room.

Marijuana is one of the least addictive drugs on the market, with an addiction rate of only 7%. However, that does not mean that it is a safe drug. The effects of marijuana are serious, and are particularly damaging to younger users who these days frequently start using marijuana by the age of 14 or 15. Research has shown that continued, habitual marijuana use has a definite effect on the development of their brains. After years of frequent use, scans have shown that there is a steady loss of grey matter, which, while it can be replaced at a younger age, will slowly stop being replaced and will eventually decrease as they get older.

So while it seems that more research needs to be done to fully end the debate about whether or not weed is more potent now than it used to be – I think it is safe to say that at least some strands are more potent than they were 10 years ago. In the meantime, spread the word of the serious effects of marijuana and its addictive behaviours so that people can make informed decisions when it comes to their own health.

If you or someone you know is suffering from marijuana addiction, it is important to contact a professional immediately to get the help needed to make a successful recovery.

(These articles are the sole property of “The Cabin Chiang Mai”, they are its original authors.)