>> SINCE OPENING UP TO SPORTS
BETTING IN 2019, ILLINOIS HAS
RAPIDLY EMERGED AS ONE OF THE
TOP GAMING MARKETS IN THE
NATION.
THE ILLINOIS GAMING BOARD SAYS
RESIDENTS WAGERED $7.1 BILLION
LAST YEAR ALONE.
IN TIME FOR MARCH MADNESS
ILLINOIS DROPPED AN IN-PERSON
REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT MAKING
IT EASIER TO GAMBLE USING
ON-LINE APPS.
BUT THE EXPANSION OF GAMBLE
SOMETHING NOT WITHOUT COST.
JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT THE
ISSUE OF PROBLEM GAMBLING ARE
DANIEL TROLARO VICE-PRESIDENT
AND GAMBLING PREVENTION
SPECIALIST AT EPIC RISK
MANAGEMENT A CONSULTING FIRM
FOCUSED ON MINIMIZING THE HARM
CAUSED BY GAMBLING.
HE IS IN RECOVERY FROM A
GAMBLING ADDICTION AND Dr.
TERESA GARATE SENIOR
VICE-PRESIDENT AT THE GATEWAY
FOUNDATION A NON-PRFT THAT
TREATS ADDICTION INCLUDING
GAMBLING.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
Dr. TERESA GARATE LET'S START
WITH YOU.
HOW MUCH HAS PROBLEM GAMBLING
INCREASED SINCE ILLINOIS
LEGALIZED SPORTS BETTING IN
2019?
>> SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO MEASURE
HOW MANY PEOPLE SUFFER FROM A
GAMBLING DISORDER BECAUSE IT'S
DIFFICULT TO SEE IT AS OPPOSED
TO A SUBSTANCE USE WHERE WE HAVE
DATA FROM HOSPITAL OVERDOSE,
EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS ET CETERA.
BUT WE KNOW IN ILLINOIS THE NEED
HAS GROWN BECAUSE ONE OF THE
WAYS THAT ILLINOIS HAS RESPONDED
TO THE INCREASED OPPORTUNITY FOR
GAMBLING IS BY PROVIDING
RESOURCES TO EXTEND MORE
TREATMENT FACILITIES.
GATEWAY WAS ONE OF THOSE
FACILITIES THAT RECEIVED FUNDING
FOR THE FIRST TIME BECAUSE THEY
REALIZED THEY NEEDED MORE
PROVIDERS TO BE ABLE TO TREAT
THE INCREASING NUMBER OF PEOPLE
WITH A GAMBLING DISORDER.
>> DANIEL TROLARO JUST IN TIME
FOR MARCH MADNESS THE STATE MADE
IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO GAMBLE
ON-LINE.
USING APPS AND THEY'VE DROPPED
THE REQUIREMENT THAT PEOPLE HAVE
TO SIGN UP IN PERSON AT A
CASINO.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THAT GOING
TO BE?
>> IT'S INTERESTING AS WE SEE
GAMBLING AND SPORTS BETTING
EXPAND AROUND THE COUNTRY WE ARE
SEEING AVAILABILITY AND
ACCESSIBILITY TO BE TWO OF THE
AREAS OF CONCERN.
WITH THAT SAID, WE CERTAINLY
KNOW THAT GAMBLING CAN BE
ENJOYED BY MANY PEOPLE WITHOUT
DEVELOPING A PROBLEM.
BUT PROBLEM GAMBLING EXISTS
ALONG A CONTINUUM.
IT'S HARD TO IDENTIFY THOSE
PEOPLE.
WHEN SOMEONE CAN SIGN UP THEY
ARE GAMBLING FOR THE FIRST TIME
PERHAPS THEY WOULD NOT HAVE DONE
IT LAST YEAR NOW YOU ARE
INTRODUCING THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR
SOME PEOPLE THAT OPPORTUNITY CAN
BE THE LAUNCHING PAD INTO
PROBLEM GAMBLING THROUGHOUT
THEIR LIFE.
>> TERESA GARATE IN 2021
ILLINOIS RESIDENTS WAGERED MORE
THAN $7.1 BILLION.
HOW MUCH MORE IS THIS MARKET
LIKELY TO GROW WITH A CHICAGO
CASINO IN THE WORKS AS WELL AS
THE STATE MAKING IT EASIER TO
BET ON-LINE ON SPORTS?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK
OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T PREDICT THE
FUTURE BUT ALREADY ILLINOIS HAS
MORE VIDEO GAMING TERMINALS THAN
ANY OTHER STATE INCLUDING NEVADA
IN THE COUNTRY.
THIS WAS A GROWING PROBLEM AND
IT WILL BE EXACERBATED.
THE CASINO IN CHICAGO I THINK IS
ALSO GOING TO BRING SOME MORE
ATTENTION TO THE ISSUE.
AND HOPEFULLY SOME OF THE
REVENUES AND THE BENEFIT OF THAT
WILL BE INVESTED INTO TREATMENT
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY PREVENTION
AND EDUCATION.
BECAUSE SOMETHING THAT DAN SAYS
IS VERY IMPORTANT.
ALL ADDICTION IS, WHETHER IT IS
A SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUE.
MORE WE CAN EDUCATE PEOPLE THAT
YOU CAN DEVELOP A GAMBLING
DISORDER THE BETTER WE WILL BE
ABLE TO SUPPORT PEOPLE.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IS
THAT PEOPLE DON'T SEE IT AS I'M
NOT GOING TO GET ADDICTED.
NOT LIKE ALCOHOL.
BUT THAT IS REALLY A MYTH.
IT IS DANGEROUS AND IT CAN
HAPPEN.
>> TO THAT POINT, DANIEL
TROLARO, LOTS OF PEOPLE CAN
GAMBLE WITHOUT BECOMING AN ISSUE
FOR THEM.
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE GAMBLING
ADDICTION?
>> SURE.
YOU KNOW, LIKE ANY ADDICTION
WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER WHEN
IT START STOS CREATE NEGATIVE
IMPACT IN AN INDIVIDUAL'S LIFE.
AND THERE ARE WARNING SIGNS AND
SO MANY VARIOUS WAYS TO MEASURE.
THE DIAGNOSTIC MODEL IDENTIFIED
GAMBLING AS A FORMAL DISORDER ON
PAR WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER.
AND SOME OF THE TELLTALE SIGNS
THE CHASING OF LOSSES.
THE LYING TO THOSE CLOSE TO YOU.
RELATIONSHIP ISSUES.
AND PERFORMANCE AND PRODUCTIVITY
ISSUES WHETHER ON THE FIELD OR
IN YOUR JOB OR AT HOME OR IN
SCHOOL, WHEN THEY START TO TAKE
A TOLL THAT IS WHEN YOU KNOW
IT'S STARTING TO BECOME A
PROBLEM.
AND I THINK TERESA GARATE WAS
RIGHT, WE DON'T SEE TREAT
GAMBLING THE SAME WAY AS
SUBSTANCE USE BECAUSE IT IS NOT
SOMETHING THAT SMACKS US IN THE
FACE.
THERE IS NO POSITIVE URINE
SCREEN AND NO FEDERAL FUNDING
FOR GAMBLING DISORDER IT'S DONE
AT THE STATE LEVEL.
STATE BY STATE WE NEED TO BE
CREATING EDUCATION AND HAVING
CONVERSATIONS JUST LIKE THIS
DURING PROBLEM GAMBLING
AWARENESS MONTH AND BEYOND TO
IDENTIFY WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE
AND HOW BEST TO TREAT AND
ADDRESS THEM.
>> AND TERESA GARATE, WHAT ARE
THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO TREAT
A GAMBLING ADDICTION?
>> WELL, THE FIRST THING I THINK
S. TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S STIGMA
ASSOCIATED WITH ANY ADDICTION.
THE MORE WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT
AND OPPORTUNITIES THE BETTER.
PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT SUICIDE
IS FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY AMONG
PEOPLE WITH A GAMBLING DISORDER.
FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY WHEN WE
HAVE AN ISSUE WITH SUICIDE AND
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
THE BEST WAY IS MAKE SURE YOU
TALK ABOUT IT AND MAKE SURE THAT
PEOPLE YOU LOVE AND THINK MAY
HAVE SOME ISSUES KNOW THERE'S
TREATMENT OUT THERE.
THERE IS A GREAT WEBSITE WE KNOW
THE FEELING IT IS A NATIONAL
WEBSITE PEOPLE CAN ACCESS
INFORMATION.
GATEWAY HAS OUR OWN RESOURCES ON
OUR WEBSITE.
THE BEST WAY IS DO AN
ASSESSMENT, MAKE SURE YOU
UNDERSTAND HOW GAMBLING IS
AFFECTING YOU, YOUR SOCIAL
PERSON WHO YOU ARE AND THEN GET
THE TREATMENT THAT YOU NEED
WHETHER IT'S OUTPATIENT,
COUNSELING WHATEVER IT IS BUT
TREAT IT LIKE A DISEASE WHICH IS
WHAT IT IS.
>> AND STICKING WITH YOU FOR THE
LAST QUESTION BEFORE WE GO,
TERESA GARATE, THE SPORTSBOOK
HAS GROSS RECEIPTS THE MONEY
THEY KEEP AFTER WINNINGS PAID
OUT.
$525 MILLION.
THE STATE RECEIVED 79 MILLION IN
TAX REVENUES.
6 MILLION WENT TO COOK COUNTY.
WHAT DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY
IS EARMARKED FOR TREATMENT
PROGRAMS?
>> UNFORTUNATELY I'M NOT AT THE
STATE SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT
IS GOING TO WORKOUT.
I CAN TELL YOU IS WHAT I SHARED
AT THE BEGINNING IS WE ARE A NEW
PROVIDER TO THIS WORK.
WE HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR 53 YEARS
DOING ADDICTION TREATMENT.
BUT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS WE
WERE ASKED TO JOIN AND ALSO
PROVIDE SERVICES.
THERE IS DEFINITELY A DESIRE
FROM THE STATE, TO USE A LOT OF
THAT MONEY TO CREATE MORE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE
GREATER ACCESS TO TREATMENT,
CLOSE TO THEIR HOME, VIRTUALLY
OR IN-PERSON.
>> THAT IS WHERE WE HAVE TO