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Addiction conference underway in St. Louis

August 12, 2009 By

The 2009 Midwest Conference on Problem Gambling and Substance Abuse is underway in St. Louis, bringing together more than 200 addiction experts, treatment providers, and representatives of the gambling industry. Experts taking part in this event come from the five-state region of Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.

Candace Peters, Director of Training at the University of Iowa’s Prairieland Addiction Technology Transfer Center and a member of the Midwest Consortium on Problem Gambling and Substance Abuse, says there is quite a bit of ground to cover during this three-day gathering.

“Presenters will discuss a variety of issues from responsibility regarding treatment for problem gambling and substance abuse,” said Peters in an interview with the Missourinet. “They’ll discuss clinician treatment skill building and various issues that surround problem gambling and substance abuse.”

Peters insists solving problems requires a community effort.

“From a national perspective and from extensive research we understand that it’s essential that we work together on multiple platforms – bringing industry, research, and treatment together for problem gambling and substance abuse,” said Peters.

While there might be some links between problem gambling and substance abuse, treatment efforts are guided by the person seeking assistance, so the conference focuses on providing skills to help people on the important individual basis.

“Everyone comes with their own needs, their own understanding, their own suffering – if you will,” said Peters. “The links research tells us, yes, there is some link between the two, however we don’t want to focus on that versus being able to treat the person for what they’re asking us to be able to assist them with.”

Peters says those leaving the conference will exit knowing the importance of a recovery community that includes research, treatment, and even what should be said by a greeter at a casino.

The conference wraps up Friday.

Download/Listen: Steve Walsh report (:60 MP3)

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , ,

Responsible Gaming Education Week a chance to tell problem gamblers help is available

August 3, 2009 By

The Missouri Alliance to Curb Problem Gambling has ushered in Responsible Gaming Education Week with the goal of heightening awareness about the dangers associated with out of control gambling and the fact help is available for those with the gambling addiction.

Alliance spokesman Gary Gonder says that while most people who gamble walk away from casinos without any trouble, some Missourians experience problems.

"The statistics go something like .5 to 1 percent of adults are considered compulsive or pathological gamblers," said Gonder in an interview with the Missourinet. "But more importantly, up to 5 percent are problem gamblers, which means they’re approaching a pathological behavior."

The first step in getting that help is a call to 1-888-BETSOFF – (1-888-238-7633).

"We, last year, received a little over 1900 calls to our hotline," said Gonder. "It doesn’t sound like a lot of calls, but those people were either sent to Gamblers Anonymous or maybe they were referred to the free problem gambling assistance that’s available in Missouri, not only for the gambler but to the gambler’s family members."

While 1-888-BETSOFF is a national help effort, calls made from Missouri are answered in St. Louis by people who are aware of additional help available in this state.

"Over 25 percent of the calls we get every month are from family members or friends," said Gonder. "Trying to figure out what they can do to get their family member into some treatment."

Counselors for problem gamblers are provided free of charge through a small fee paid by Missouri’s casino operators.

Missouri is a national leader in problem gambling programs and was the first state to hold a statewide awareness week.

Download/Listen: Steve Walsh report (:60 MP3)

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: , ,

Ed bill, once nearly dead, passes the General Assembly

May 14, 2009 By

A big education bill, once nearly killed in the House, is revived, passed and sent to the governor.

Defeated earlier 43-to-116 earlier this week in the House, a re-crafted version won approval 110-46. It was quite a turn-around for House sponsor Maynard Wallace (R-Thornfield).

"Half those people Tuesday didn’t realize what they were doing," Wallace said afterward.

Tuesday, the education bill, SB29 1, seemed dead after the stunning defeat in the House. Wallace had hoped to get the bill through that chamber and into conference with Senate education leaders so a compromise acceptable to both chambers could be hammered out. The defeat left him with few options.

After consulting with House leadership, Wallace succeeded in getting the bill assigned to the House Rules Committee, which stripped controversial aspects from the bill and greatly reduced its costs.

One last obstacle had to be cleared. A provision strongly backed by Wallace created a minor controversy that threatened to grow into a major one. A push to keep high school students from bailing on education too soon eliminated language in state law allowing someone to leave school at age 16 and required a student to receive at least 16 hours of credit before dropping out. Wallace said the measure should help stem the drop-out rate. Home school parents feared that its wording would provide an entry for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to regulate home schooling. An amendment calmed fears and led to passage.

Rep. Ryan Silvey (R-Kansas City) speculated during House floor debate on Thursday that perhaps lawmakers lost focus of a key component of the bill, a provision that corrects a glitch in state law that would have kept additional casino money from flowing to the schools.

"A ‘No’ vote on this bill is a vote to not send $108 million to public education next year," Silvey said during floor debate, using the estimate of what extra money casinos will pay into education due to the lifting of loss limits approved by voters.

After clearing the House, the bill breezed through the Senate.

Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields (R-St. Joseph) said the state needed to capture additional money from the lifting of loss limits.

"Within the bill, obviously the foundation fix and driving all the gaming revenues into the formula is important," Shields told reporters after the vote in the Senate.

 

A wide-ranging education bill, once nearly dead, Now heads to the governor’s desk.

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (:60 MP3)

Filed Under: Legislature, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Missouri casinos waste little time eliminating loss limit

November 11, 2008 By

The winning candidates from last week’s elections have to wait until the Secretary of State’s Office certifies the results of the voting before their victories move from the unofficial to the official category, but an initiative approved by voters is already in effect. It’s Proposition A – the initiative to do away with casino loss limits and, in turn, to increase the amount of casino dollars going to public schools.

Mike Winter, Executive Director of the Missouri Gaming Association – which represents the casinos operating in the state – says the Secretary of State has already determined that the initiative was approved and should be implemented, and the State Gaming Commission confirmed that on Friday. By Friday afternoon, the casinos throughout the state were already doing away with the need for the machines to operate through use of the player’s cards.

Approval also caps the number of casinos in the state at 13 – the existing 12 plus one under construction in St. Louis County.



Download/Listen: Steve Walsh report (:60 MP3)

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Supporters and opponents spar over positives and negatives of Prop A

October 27, 2008 By

One of the five statewide issues Missourians will vote on next week will be Proposition A – a measure that would do away with the $500 loss limit at Missouri casinos and provide additional money for public schools. Scott Charton, representing the Yes on Prop A forces, says the additional revenues must be set aside for education.

Approval of Proposition A would also cap the number of casinos at the number of boats that currently exist or are under construction. In addition, it would raise the gambling tax from 20 to 21 percent.

The Casino Watch Committee is the main opponent to approval of the initiative. Casino Watch’s Evelio Silvera says there are no guarantees that additional money will be raised for education. He adds any additional revenues could be a wash in that the extra dollars would go to education, but the General Assembly could respond by withholding the same amount of general revenue dollars from schools.

Silvera claims the only way $100-million in additional revenue could be added to education is if Missourians lose an additional $500-million in the casinos.

Download/Listen: Steve Walsh report (:60 MP3)

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: ,
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