Presented at the 2011 Washington State Prevention Summit (http://www.preventionsummit.org) by Julie Hynes. Available at www.preventionlane.org/gambling.

1. Integrating Problem
Gambling Prevention on a
Time Budget
Julie Hynes, MA, CPS
Problem Gambling Prevention Coordinator
Prevention Program Webmaster
Lane County Health & Human Services
Oregon Problem Gambling Services

2. Today’s Conversation
 Why problem gambling?
 Why integrate?
 Practical strategies
 Practical tools
 Getting started
 Q&A along the way!
Note: This entire presentation, links
and tools are available online at:
www.preventionlane.org/gambling/
prevention-summit.htm

3. Why Gambling?
 One student in every classroom (average of 3%) of
Washington 8th, 10th, and 12th graders who gambled said
gambling had caused problems at home, school, or with
friends (source: Washington Healthy Youth Survey, 2008)
 Research consistently shows teens who gamble have
higher rates of: (sources: Oregon Health Authority, 2010; Marotta &
Hynes, 2003)
 Alcohol use  Delinquency
 Marijuana use  Depression
 Violent behavior  Suicidal ideation and
 Sexual behavior attempts
 Handgun possession

4. Oregon Student Wellness Surveys
Source: http://oregon.pridesurveys.com

5. Why Gambling?
5 “A’s” for Alarm
 Availability
 Accessibility
 Acceptability
 Advertising
 Age
This is an issue thus far under-checked, under-studied,
under the radar!

6. Why Gambling?

7. Why Gambling?

8. A New Online World
Source: http://learntolottery.com/#/scratch-games

9. Why Schools?
Yikes
Source: http://oregon.pridesurveys.com

10. Why
Integrate?  No budget
 No time
 Best/evidence-
based practice
approach
 Similar reward
pathways/
adolescent brain
development
not what integration
look like

11. Our
Approach: Information Dissemination
Prevention Education
Uses the Center Alternative Activities
for Substance Community-Based Processes
Abuse Prevention Problem
Identification/Referral
Strategies for
Environmental/Policy
Effective Approaches
Prevention

12. Department of Education
 Exhibiting and presenting at school teacher trainings
 ODE health education standards now includes
problem gambling at 6-8th grade level
Above: see http://preventionlane.org/gambling/about-us.htm
for complete chart & information
CSAP: Policy

13. Partnering with schools
 Casino night alternatives
 Parenting programs (e.g., Strengthening Families)
 Selective prevention programs (e.g., Reconnecting
Youth)
 Adding language about gambling into any drug or
alcohol curriculum
 In-class presentations that can fold in with problem
gambling
 Sample policies (see student handbooks)
CSAP: Info dissemination, policy, community process,
education, ID & referral (possibly alternative activities)

14. Partnering with higher ed

15. Partnering with higher ed
Pros… & Not so pro’s
 Fresh ideas  Formal contract = University
 “Cheap labor” bureaucracy
 Go where the issues are  When working with
 Informal partnerships may be
students, remember they are
best (see “cons”) students
 Holy bureaucracy, Batman!
 Be careful about deadlines
 Cool stuff you might not be
able to use (see next slide)
 Did we mention
bureaucracy?

16. From the PGAP brandbook:
www.preventionlane.org/gambling/pgap.htm
U
h
…
H
i


17. Partnering with your universities:
Tips
 Know what you want
 Start with someone you know
 Go in with a plan
 Set realistic expectations
 Integrate wherever possible
 Don’t overcomplicate it (contracts = bureaucracy)
 Try to get questions on counseling/health center
assessments
CSAP: Info dissemination, policy, community process,
education, ID & referral (possibly alternative activities)

18. Now…On to Some Tools!

19.  One time ADD-ON to evidence-based alcohol/drug
unit (two types: grades 6-8 & high school)
 Objectives -- Students will be able to:
A. Cite the general definitions of gambling and problem
gambling
B. Understand key differences between social (responsible)
and problem gambling
C. Understand how problem gambling shares commonalities
with other addictive behaviors
D. Verbalize how to access help when they believe they or a
loved one have a gambling problem

20. We will be doing this tomorrow in the
youth workshops!

21. Name 3 typical
consequences that
someone may experience
due to his/her gambling
problem

22. Debt
Crime
Depression/Suicide
Relationship problems
Employment problems
Alcohol and/or drug problems

23. Middle School
Video
 Middle school students will learn:
 What is gambling?
 Gambling is not risk-free.
 How to recognize problem gambling.
 How to get help.
 What it is: to educate young people about the risks
and pitfalls of gambling.
 What it’s NOT: to pass judgment on gambling being a
“good” or “bad” activity.

24. Video is online. More info at:
http://preventionlane.org/gambling/
youth-gambling-video.htm

25. Video Contest &
Art Search

26. Video Contest & Art Search
 Cheap
 Great for integration in schools where health
curriculum not a possibility
 Ask media, A/V, drama teachers about participating
 See http://preventionlane.org/videos.htm and
http://preventionlane.org/gambling/art-search.htm
for more information

27. Social Media
 Websites, Blogs, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc.
 If you can do it, it’s fairly inexpensive & easy to update!

28. Info & general prevention resource:
preventionlane.org/gambling

29. Curriculum, outreach resource:
problemgamblingprevention.org

30. Data & Info
 Updated annually
 Contains facts and figures,
factsheets, overviews,
templates, etc. for increasing
awareness of problem
gambling
 Can be downloaded at
http://problemgamblingpr
evention.org/

31. System Evaluation Results
Prevention and outreach are working:
 Evaluation report in Oregon shows many successes; see
http://problemgamblingprevention.org/reports/08-09-AD80-
Annual-Reports-Summary.pdf for more complete report
 Oregon is one of the few states that appears to have averted a
significant increase in problem gambling prevalence while
expanding legalized gambling (National Center For the Study of Gambling,
2006)
1. Moore & Marotta, in press
2. National Center For the Study of Gambling, 2006.

32. Successes… & Challenges
 Approaching  Gambling still not on radar
schools/coalitions with  Lack of resources & time
internal partners  Strict curriculum demands
 Sharing how this BENEFITS
them, not adds work
 Using “Why should you
care?” message
 Using local data
 Knowing the language
(e.g., education standards)
 Asking questions

33. The Take-Home
 Integration is needed in today’s world
 Don’t overcomplicate it
 Use tools available to you with the time
you have
 Ask for help! Problem gambling experts
love to help.

34. Thanks…and…
uh…go team!


35. For more information:
Julie Hynes, MA, CPS
Lane County Health & Human Services
Oregon Problem Gambling Services
Julie.Hynes@co.lane.or.us | 541.628.3928
preventionlane.org | problemgamblingprevention.org
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