Some Ways in Which Governments and Gambling Operators Might Minimize Harm - Essay Example

WAYS IN WHICH GОVЕRNMЕNTS АND GAMBLING ОРЕRАTОRS MIGHT MINIMIZE HАRM FRОM GАMBLING-RЕLАTЕD РRОBLЕMS Name Institution Date WАYS IN WHIСH GОVЕRNMЕNTS АND GАMBLING ОРЕRАTОRS MIGHT MINIMISЕ HАRM FRОM GАMBLING-RЕLАTЕD РRОBLЕMS Introduction Gambling is wagering of money or something that has value with the aim of primarily getting additional money or something though it is uncertain as Raylu et al. (2002) defined. Mostly it operates in three elements which include consideration, chance and prize. Mostly the results of the wager are usually expected after a short period of time. In the world mostly, the industry have been coldly received by some of the people and states. All the same gambling is increasingly being legitimized and socially accepted in most of the countries in the world for example New Zealand. In addition some states depend on lottery and casinos games to sustain their treasuries for instance some Native American reservation casinos are the main source of revenue. Over time the industry is growing very fast attracting more customers than baseball or movies. It is an easier business to start since the facilities are cheap and their availability is at ease also its credit requirement is relaxed. In fact, with the advancement in technology more enticing strategies to play have been on increase an example of one being on internet. All the same this industry is dominated by very many evils and problems as argued by Gould CM, Sanders KM (2008). This paper therefore is meant to explore the different problems associated with gambling and recommend on what the governments and gambling operators can do to solving the problems (Raylu et al., 2002). Long term gamblers are men although women too are adopting this game. Gambling tend to attract people from low social economic status who have poor education and are tempted by visions and dreams of unattainable wealth. All the same people from high social economic status may get involved in this habit but not many of them as compared to the low social economic status. Some experts categorize gambling into two categories that is action gambling and escape gambling as Gould CM, Sanders KM (2008).highlighted in their book. Action gamblers often gambler on games and activities that requires at least some skills mostly preferring horse races, poker blackjack and sports. On the other hand, escape gamblers often prefer passive games of pure chance for example they play lotteries, slot machines and many others. Unlike action gamblers most of the escape gamblers are always anxious and depressed therefore gambling cheers them up (Gould CM, Sanders KM, 2008). Gambling is increasingly becoming out of control and it is being recognized as a psychiatric disorder and posses as a great challenge for mental health problems as observed by Ladouceur et al. (2002). Most of the gamblers are continuously and constantly thinking of the past gamble, planning the next one and finding resources to support the habit. Usually they constantly raise the amount of their wager and they struggle to quit or cut back when they lose. So as to get a lot of profit in case they win they always try to coax many gamblers to join the game but most of them are unable to put up with losing and their immediately try to regain (chasing losses). Due to frustration from losing they would gamble even more making them neglect their families or even lose their jobs careers to the habit. Worse even as Ladouceur et al. (2002) agued professional gamblers have the habit of selling their properties borrow beg steal so as to sustain and finance gambling or even repay their debts. At times those who manage to keep their families will always butter and mistreat their wives if they (wives) question their husband behaviors. This indirectly causes depression and low esteem to members of the extended family who cares for gambler. This is because their relatives who are gamblers are always on bail due borrowing and begging and if they escape bail they mistreat them (relatives) through stealing from them and assaulting them. Indeed United States the main cause of white collar crimes is gambling and especially the so said escape gambling (Ladouceur et al., 2002). At times some gamblers may develop mental problems such as psychotic behaviors and pathological gambling. Usually pathological gambling for instance begins in early adolescents in men and women of between ages 20 to 40 as Gould CM, Sanders KM (2008) observed. They have this repetitive behavior of gambling since they are unable to resist the impulse to gamble. Pathological gambling is closely related to obsessive compulsive disorder although it is all different with different symptoms. American Psychiatric Association categorizes pathological gambling disorder as one of psychiatric disorder that requires attention. According to Gould CM, Sanders KM (2008) pathological gambling is associated with alcohol and drug abuse problems, anxiety, depression, financial social and legal problems, heart attacks as well as suicide attempts. Drug and alcohol abuse becomes part of the wager and increases even more when they loss. Binge gambling is another disorder that is closely associated with to pathological gambling Gould CM, Sanders KM (2008). As such binge gambling is sub compulsive gambling disorder where the victims experience sessions of uncontrollable impulse of gambling which end when the urge diminishes. Unlike pathological gambling, binge gambling is planned and end due to the reduction of the urge to gamble. In addition to binge gambling, gamblers are at high risk of social clinical diseases like tuberculoses, skin diseases. This is because they are always in a group of individual which is a catalyst in contracting this social diseases and infections. (Gould CM, Sanders KM, 2008) In as much as gambling earning a lot of revenue to the governments of the different states problems associated with it must be reduced if not fully eradicated. This will create a health living of the gamblers and therefore healthy nations. National Gambling Impact Study Commission, (1999) advised that first, state governments must device and enact law that regulate gambling thus improving the industry. State government can form commissions to investigate on the best gambling games which reduces pathological gambling for example professional sports gambling. The recommended gambling games should be cheap to implement thus making it affordable for many people. This can be followed by Bunning of some gambling games which are worse than others. All this can be done formulating policies that monitor the games, the gambler and the families as well as society of the gambler. The policies can advocate for a consumer safety measures and technological intervention that makes gambling safe form of entertainment. Stringent law that prohibits hazardous marketing such as promotion reward for gambling and that define gambling environment should be formulated in efforts of reducing gambling harm. (National Gambling Impact Study Commission, 1999) Another approach that can be used is the public health approach as advised by Raylu et al. (2002). Public health is very fundamental in a country in handling the people’s health through treatment diseases and accidents that happen on the members of the public. As such, there should be increase in health centers with an updated psychiatric wing that help solve mental disorders that come along as a result of gambling. Psychiatric department should be well equipped with personnel, technologically and drugs. This will ensure efficiency diagnosis and treatment of gambling disorders. Public health personnel should also conduct researches on the issue of gambling disorders and the reports should be given to the state government for implementation. (Raylu et al., 2002) Romer (2003) denotes that involvement of the public in decision making about local activities that prevent and minimize gambling problems in their communities is the best way to handle gambling. Members of the communities should made to own the issues gambling solution through decision making since they are the people who are directly affected by gambling harm. Creating awareness on the effect of gambling to the public can be done through public discussions and debates. It can also be done through questionnaires where the respondents are the members of the public asking them on the negative effect the local gambling games and what they recommend can be done. Following this there should a report which should be then be availed to the relevant government agencies for implementation. Government can also take the responsibility on educating the public on the best gambling games that have mild harm on the emotion, physical, and social health. This as advised by Romer (2003) will ensure that community have role in controlling the gamming machines and venues numbers thus that the problem is solved from the roots which is the community. Since victims of gambling mostly would not want to seek clinical treatment the other community members will come in and encourage them to seek medical attention since they are educated and informed as further said by Romer (2003) . Community empowerment and ownership are very vital aspects of a healthy and responsive community and they form key aspects of a health public approach. (Romer, 2003) As Ladouceur et al. (2002) observed the main cause of gambling is poverty since as mentioned earlier gambling is prevalent mostly in low social economic status. In this regard, therefore the state governments should embark on empowering the communities economically so as to eradicate poverty. This can be done by giving the public grants that so as to start a micro business which acts as a source of income. Creation of employment cannot be undermined reducing gambling which come about some times due to idleness. One way of creating employment is to educate the public on the best way of handling the different economic activities in the regions. By this the government will have empowered the people with information on how to invest the grants and any other money (Ladouceur et al., 2002) The ministries or departments of health should formed by state governments which should in turn facilitate the training of skilled staff who are to deliver effective and holistic services to prevent and curtail gambling problems as Ladouceur et al. (2002)suggested in their study. The trained therapist should be distributed to the gambling affected areas where they get close enough to the patients (the gamblers) so that their services can be effective by giving treatment to the people and counseling them. They should also concentrate on removing the incentives for gambling and the external circumstances and the inner states that stimulate the urge to gamble. Such incentives are negative labeling that individual get from other members of the public. According to Abelius (2011) negative labeling is the catalyst of deviant behaviors such as gambling therefore they should also create forums sensitizing the public on the need for positive labeling rather than negative labeling. The ministry of health should also function together with other ministries like drug and alcohol so as to ensure consolidated support in fighting against drug abuse and alcohol taking by gamblers and the general public. In addition, there is no specific treatment that should be given to the compulsive gamblers the ministries in collaboration with the trained therapist should embark on a research so as to discover the best treatment of individual gambler victims rather than using the traditional random method of treatment. (Ladouceur et al, 2002) Conclusion Generally the effect of gambling can never be ignored since they have far reaching effect on the individual gambler, his or her family as well as the society as a whole. In us much as states enjoys the great revenue that originates from the industry, the negative effects that comes with it outweighs the revenue since all of it and more is used to solve the problems that the industry leaves behind. The problems ranges from disorders such as depression and anxiety, pathological gambling (compulsive gambling), binge gambling to social problems such as theft cases, drug and alcohol abuse, family neglection and mistreatment, ant social behaviors such as withdrawal and many others. All the stake holders for example the government, the society, and the gambling operators should forces to reduce the harm caused by gambling as well as helping the victims of gambling recover and embark on their normal lives. This will ensure productivity of the society and the nation as a whole. Such solutions includes enacting laws and policies that regulate the industry, education of the society on the effects of gambling and the part they can play in giving solutions to it, training of an effective workforce who treats and handles the victims of gambling and also most importantly empower the community and involve it in eradicating poverty. Employment creation should also be the responsibility the state governments so that idleness one of the genesis of gambling to be tamed. This will ensure gambling harm evils are reduced if not eradicated. References: Gould CM, Sanders KM., (2008) Impulse-control disorders. In: Stern TA et al. Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry. 1st ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; chap 23. Ladouceur, R. et al. (2002). Understanding and Treating the Pathological Gambler. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2002. National Gambling Impact Study Commission, (1999) Final Report. New York: US Government Printing Office retrieved on 28th August, 2013 from Raylu N, et al., (Sept. 2002): “Pathological Gambling: A Comprehensive Review,” Clinical Psychology Review (Sept. 2002): Vol. 22, No. 7, pp. 1009–61. Abelius, V. (2011) Crime, Disorder, and Justice – The Labeling Theory As A Way of Explaining Social Reactions To Deviant Behavior: A Critical Assessment. Berlin: GRIN Verlag, 2011 Romer, D., (2003) Reducing Adolescent Risk: Toward an Integrated Approach. London: Sage publishers Read More