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Governments rushing to embrace online gambling risk fuelling addictions without having the right tools to cope with the social consequences.
That's the conclusion of a new research paper that has particular importance for Canada: While the popularity of online gambling has exploded around the world, the issue is paramount in a country where several provincial governments have created, or have plans to introduce, online gambling ventures. And while cash-strapped governments everywhere have become addicted to gambling revenues, they face heightened problems - and responsibilities - at a time when high-tech options have brought betting home as never before.
The report published Wednesday in the medical journal The Lancet provides a frank assessment of the serious nature of gambling disorders and the need for improved mechanisms to detect and treat people who develop them.
"There's just been growing recognition just how many people are affected by gambling problems," said David Hodgins, a clinical psychologist and psychology professor at the University of Calgary and the lead author of the paper. "If you really look at the impacts on people and their families, they're pretty devastating."
Gambling addiction is also associated with other problem behaviours: A person who doesn't get treated could be at heightened risk for substance abuse or alcoholism - and, of course, provinces bear the brunt of health-care costs.
In the paper, Dr. Hodgins, an acknowledged expert in the field of gambling disorders, and his colleagues say that only about one in 10 problem gamblers seek therapy, largely due to guilt and shame. But simple questionnaires are often able to detect problem gaming behaviour, which can lead to treatments. One of the most effective is called cognitive behaviour therapy, which focuses on "modifying distorted behaviours" common among problem gamblers. Among them: overestimating the chances of winning, feeling you have control over a game's outcome, and believing a win is due after many losses.
That type of therapy is 60-per-cent more effective than none at all. Gamblers Anonymous can also work because it gives a sense of common purpose, the report says.
While wagering is a worldwide phenomenon, there is wide variance among regions and countries in the number of people considered problem gamblers. For instance, in Norway one in 500 people is thought to have a gambling disorder, while in Hong Kong the rate is thought to be as high as one in 20. The report mentions no comparable number for Canada.
But in an interview, Dr. Hodgins said the prevalence of such problems is critically important everywhere because of the rapid growth in the availability of gambling, particularly to audiences that previously would have no exposure to it. The escalating numbers of online gambling websites make it easy for anyone to place bets in the comfort of their own home, at any time.
"When online gambling becomes more available and it's promoted, you're going to have people who have never been to a casino who start to gamble online," Dr. Hodgins said. "It is going to change. We really don't know what the implications will be."
British Columbia recently expanded its online gambling operations, and Quebec launched its online gaming program last year. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is set to have an online gambling program up and running by 2012. On the flip side, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island have rejected proposals to adopt online gambling, due in part to fears it would increase the number of people addicted to gambling.
Governments in Atlantic Canada were widely criticized in the 1990s when the introduction of video lottery terminals led to a significant increase in gambling disorders. Other provinces have faced criticism for failing to help problem gamblers and even encouraging some, through incentives or promotions, to continue gambling.
That's evidence of what Dr. Hodgins calls the "fundamental contradiction" - that while provinces are responsible for protecting the health of residents, they also promote gambling. "There is the potential for a conflict there for sure," he said. "They have a duel mandate."
Many provinces have stepped up efforts to recognize problem gambling behaviours, and have introduced treatment programs. But that doesn't mean their systems are perfect, Dr. Hodgins said.
"The dilemma is, it's really clear that a disproportionate amount of the revenue comes from people with problem gambling," he said. "There is going to be a financial consequence of minimizing gambling problems."