Those in Ohio who may have a gambling problem can now take an online quiz provided by the state’s mental health and addiction services department.
“Get Set Before You Bet” is a program created by the department, part of September’s Responsible Gambling Education Month.
Ohio has 11 casinos throughout the state, four of them are stand-alone facilities while the other seven are connected to horse racing tracks. The 11 casinos brought in nearly $200 million in revenue for the month of August.
The state’s website, BeforeYouBet.org, has links to several resources including a quiz to measure a person’s risk level for problem gambling. There is also a tips and education section, a community toolkit, and resources on where to get help.
Some of the questions asked in the quiz include, “Have you bet more than you could really afford to lose?” and “When you gambled, did you go back another day to try to win back the money you lost?”
Scott Anderson, problem gambling specialist with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, told reporters that problem gambling can be a downward spiral.
“If someone is trying to get out of an unpleasant financial situation, unpleasant situation, and they feel that, you know, hitting that big jackpot is going to be the answer to all their troubles,” Anderson said. “And then they get into debt.”
The website is not only for those with possible gambling problems but can be utilized by friends and family to recognize the signs of a potential issue with gambling.
The effects that problem gambling has on individuals is not just financially related. Anderson noted that September is also National Suicide Prevention Month and gambling has one of the highest suicide rates of any disorder.
The state set up a new 988 hotline for suicide that replaced the 10-digit phone number. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the U.S.
