Updated Problem Gambling Services Budget Info

Frequently asked questions, including fact sheets & legislative information, are regularly updated at: http://lanecounty.org/prevention/pgs

Three Rivers to serve alcohol on entire gaming floor

Siuslaw News, 11/8/08:

Three Rivers to serve alcohol on entire gaming floor
Florence casino will be first in Oregon to offer service.

Three Rivers Casino and Hotel in Florence is the first Oregon casino to announce it will offer alcohol service on the entire gaming floor beginning Dec. 19.

The announcement was made by Michael Rose, COO of Three Rivers Casino and hotel, who said the new service was being conducted with the assistance and cooperation of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission and was in response to numerous customer requests.

"Everything we have done since the facility opened has been geared to enhance the guest experience," said Rose. "And this service has been the number one request from the beginning."

The service will be available daily from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m.

The Hotel and Casino is in the midst of a casino-wide training program conducted with OLCC for frontline employees to upper management, whether they serve alcohol or not.

"there is a large responsibility to the strep we are taking," Rose said, adding that the OLCC has extensive experience in hospitality service and that their programs dovetail nicely with the goals and service standards set by the Three Rivers Casino and Hotel.

At the same time, Three Rivers Casino and Hotel will pen a new non-smoking slot room. The room is designed to hold up to 50 new slot machines with gives players a total of 700 machines to choose from.

"The gold standard for the casino experience is, of course, Las Vegas," said Rose. "And we have been leading the way in bringing that to Oregon."

Rose said that since opening in 2004 Three Rivers has been a leader in providing the most complete gaming experience in Oregon in regards to availability of the various gaming options from slot machines to table games, Keno and major promotions. Gaming began in Oregon in 1992.

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This is unprecedented in Oregon.  The article in the Florence paper last Saturday was apparently the first time the community heard about it. In Lane County,  a recovering gambler from the Florence area wanted to bring this to our group's attention in concern that other casinos in Oregon may soon follow suit. Since this has just now come known even to our community, now is the time to start working. We need help!

Knowing what we know about the high co-occurrence with problem gambling and alcohol abuse/dependence, what effects might we expect from this change?

How would this issue be best addressed, knowing the tribes are under different jurisdiction than state government laws? How could groups in Oregon address this policy change? How could we work with OLCC?

New Site Includes "Videos to Beat the Odds"

The Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Problem Gambling Program has a new site, BeatTheBet.com. The program also created the Videos to Beat the Odds competition to address the issue of teen problem gambling.

Some of Oregon Problem Gambling Services' regional prevention coordinators have been discussing the potential to offer a "video search" component in 2009 for the annual Oregon Problem Gambling Awareness Week. For six years, the state has been coordinating problem gambling awareness "art searches" (a.k.a. poster contests), in middle schools throughout Oregon. This next year may be an opportunity to expand the searches to high schools with a multimedia approach.

Take a look at the Minnesota high school student videos featured online at http://www.beatthebet.com/hs_FilmContestResults.asp.

What are your thoughts, or previous experiences, with this sort of awareness effort? Share your comments below.

Question: Banks

A regional problem gambling prevention provider, Marcy, would like to know if any problem gambling prevention/outreach has been done in approaching banks, and what the response has been.

Any successes or suggestions for best approaching banks or credit unions? Please comment below.

Blog incentive quiz -- for a $5 Starbucks gift card

Remember how you first were getting acquainted with email or the Internet? Now, it's part of everyday life. Blogs, like any form of change, can be a little daunting at first. Even the word 'blog' can send shivers of terror among some.

In order to encourage use of this form of 'anywhere' and interactive communication, we're offering an incentive. Take some time to surf around and get yourself acquainted with the blog. Look at who's a fellow author, related web links, post topics (or 'labels'), and the articles themselves. Then answer the four questions in the quiz below.

Send your quiz responses to Wendy Hausotter at Wendy.Hausotter@state.or.us. If you're one of the first five respondents, you'll get a FREE $5 Starbucks gift card!

THE QUIZ:

1. How many posts are under the label "Tips for Parents/Educators"? What are the subjects of these posts?

2. If you weren't sure or don't remember how to log in & post an item to the blog, what could you click within the blog to get help?

3. Now, try logging in using your username (your full email address) and password (which is, unless you changed it, a word that rhymes with 'retention'). Once you've logged in, click 'view blog' and post a comment to ANY one of the articles/posts in the blog.

4.What are the primary barrier(s) that you may have with using this blog?

Thanks!

Remember to send your quiz responses to Wendy.Hausotter@state.or.us if you want one of those gift cards!

In-School Problem Gambling Prevention Handout

To: In-school prevention folks.
It looks like I'll have a one-shot opportunity to give a one-page (double-sided) handout of information to public Middle and Jr. High School students in the county this school year. I'm wondering what would be a best choice. I'm thinking I could use the Oregon DHS "Gambling is Risky Business. Know the Odds" brochure for youth (Publication DHS 91062). But, I'd like to add information about setting healthy limits into the white space at the end of the brochure. The content I'm thinking of adding is set out below. The symbols to the left of each point are really bullets (didn't translate well into the blog format).
What do you think about this idea? Do you have a better idea?
Mary Ann

Setting Healthy Limits

Guidelines for responsible gambling:

• Gamble only for fun.
• Use only fun money (like you would if you went bowling or to a movie).
• Think of the money you lose as the cost of your entertainment.
• Set a dollar limit and stick to it.
• Set a time limit and stick to it.
• Accept losing as part of the game.
• Don’t borrow money to gamble.
• Don’t let gambling interfere with family, friends, school, or work.
• Don’t gamble to win back losses.
• Don’t use substances that impair your decision making.
• Don’t use gambling as a way to cope with emotional or physical pain.
• Know the law on underage gambling.
• Talk to a counselor if you think you have a problem.
  

Agency Name Address Contact Numbers

Gambling clients needed for interview

My name is Marcia Mattoso, I am a marriage and family therapist and I am the Outreach Coordinator for Gambling Addiction and Treatment in Multnomah County. I am working with the Oregonian and an independent film maker to find a couple of gambling clients who would volunteer to tell their story and be willing to show their faces. The Oregonian is focusing on people who have used PAYDAY LOANS. For the independent film maker, I need any client who is addicted to gambling and is in treatment, and willing to reveal their identity. If you have a client who would volunteer, would you send me an email or call – 503- 872-0164.

Thank you.

Marcia Mattoso, MA, MFT,CGACII,NCGC II Marriage and Family Therapist/Gambling Addiction’s Counselor Gambling Addiction’s Outreach Coordinator for Multnomah County

503 – 873-0164

Community gambling survey...

The Oregon Problem Gambling Prevention Committee developed a community survey (right; click to enlarge) about a year ago to address gambling attitudes and behaviors among Oregonians.

The survey also functioned to gain insight to what efforts the general public believes would be important to address for Oregon Problem Gambling Services. A similar survey was developed and conducted among youth, and was highly valuable in understanding the gambling habits & attitudes of almost 2,500 Oregon youth [click here for more info on the youth survey].

To date, only a handful of community surveys have been distributed and returned. In a renewal of efforts, I'd like to see if there is any interest, and what questions we should ask the public.


Questions for any and all:
- What do you believe to be the most important questions in this survey of the general public?
- Do you have any other suggestions for questions in the survey?
- If it were you taking the survey, what length of a survey would you complete? (e.g., 5 questions/one page, etc.)

Post using the "comments" option below. You don't need to use your name, but please list if your profession if applicable. Thanks!