Wager Danger

Dave Wohl has some big shoes to fill. As ICPG’s new Executive Director, Dave talks about taking over from ICPG’s founder, Bill Johnson, and how they are teaming up with other organizations across the state to spread the word on gambling disorder, and its effects on many underserved communities.

wagerdanger@gatewayfoundation.org 

Gateway Foundation Gambling Treatment

Illinois Council on Problem Gambling

info@illinoisproblemgambling.org 

dwohl@illinoisproblemgambling.org

Call Gateway Foundation: 855-723-0963

Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Are you Really Winning?

“Helping people feel good about their finances is an important part of feeling better overall.” – Alex DeMarco. 

GamFin is an organization that connects gambling disorder counselors with expert financial counselors to help restore the financial health for individuals struggling with problem gambling. Alex DeMarco tells us how the process works and why it is beneficial for financial and emotional well-being.

wagerdanger@gatewayfoundation.org 

Gateway Foundation Gambling Treatment

Call Gateway Foundation: 855-723-0963

Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Are you Really Winning?

GamFin Website

support@gamfin.org

This episode takes a look back at some interesting moments from very important conversations we have had over the last 12 months.

Gateway Foundation Gambling Treatment

wagerdanger@gatewayfoundation.org,

Facebook: @Gateway

Twitter/X: @Gateway

LinkedIn: @Gateway-Foundation

844-975-3663 (DONE)

Are You Really Winning – areyoureallywinning.com 

1-800-GAMBLER

“Not a Chance” teaches High Schoolers how to make thoughtful decisions.  Enhancing the protective factors that lead to improved self-awareness and better decision making is the primary goal…problem gambling prevention provides the context.  Utilizing an interactive approach, the lessons allow students to understand their personal boundaries more clearly and develop the confidence to adhere to them.  Alison Donoho and Emma Bowen from Chestnut Health Systems join Wager Danger to discuss how Not a Chance is improving the behavioral health of today’s youth.

Website for Chestnut: www.chestnut.org

Gateway Foundation Gambling Treatment

wagerdanger@gatewayfoundation.org,

Facebook: @Gateway

Twitter: @Gateway

LinkedIn: @Gateway-Foundation

844-975-3663 (DONE)

Are You Really Winning – areyoureallywinning.com 

1-800-GAMBLER

“Sports gambling itself is not inherently risky but sports gamblers are!”

Dr. Grubbs and his students at University of New Mexico are conducting research on the gambling habits of sports bettors and the results may surprise you. Their research has gathered data that show why sports bettors are more likely to engage in more forms of wagering, and why that behavior is a strong predictor that these gamblers are statistically more likely to develop a gambling addiction.

Joshua Grubbs PhD Website

Gateway Foundation Gambling Treatment

wagerdanger@gatewayfoundation.org

Facebook: @Gateway

Twitter: @Gateway

LinkedIn: @Gateway-Foundation

844-975-3663 (DONE)

Are You Really Winning – areyoureallywinning.com 

1-800-GAMBLER

Teens from across the Chicagoland area are finding exciting and creative ways to spread the message of gambling’s potential harm to a vulnerable population.  Tapping into their unique talents and skills, these teens are having a major impact among their peers and gaining life changing experiences in the process.

Nicasa Problem Gambling and Sports Betting Services

Nicasa Behavioral Health Services Teen Problem Prevention Creative Group

Music Track: Make Things Right by Alishaa Bell

Gateway Foundation Gambling Treatment

wagerdanger@gatewayfoundation.org,

Facebook: @Gateway

Twitter: @Gateway

LinkedIn: @Gateway-Foundation

844-975-3663 (DONE)

Are You Really Winning – areyoureallywinning.com 

1-800-GAMBLER

After initial recovery and relapse, a subsequent recovery leads Dave to live each day OUT LOUD as he shares his incredible story of hope with others. 

Recovery advocate, podcaster, husband and father Dave Yeager shares a deeply personal story of his recovery journey after developing a gambling addiction while serving as a non-commissioned officer in the US Army. Dave talks about the progression of his gambling addiction, fueled by an early win, as it spiraled into daily gambling, borrowing money from subordinates, lying and eventually stealing from his unit in order to satiate his gambling need. Ultimately, it’s his fortitude and character that shines bright in his endeavor to share his recovery with others. 

Gateway Foundation Gambling Treatment

wagerdanger@gatewayfoundation.org,

Facebook: @Gateway

Twitter: @Gateway

LinkedIn: @Gateway-Foundation

844-975-3663 (DONE)

Are You Really Winning – areyoureallywinning.com 

1-800-GAMBLER

Book is available on Amazon: Fall In: A Veteran with a Gambling Addiction

Contact Dave at: Fallinpodcast@gmail.com

Fall in Podcast

Fall In Podcast on Spotify

Chris Ward, outreach coordinator at The Way Back Inn, discusses a youth and young adult-oriented curriculum called Stacked Deck. Younger generations are growing up with simulated gambling embedded in video games. The Stacked Deck educational offering is intended to identify the potential harms present in video gaming products and how youth and adolescents can begin to recognize when they are being manipulated into gambling simulation.

Gateway Foundation Gambling Treatment

wagerdanger@gatewayfoundation.org

Facebook: @Gateway

Twitter: @Gateway

LinkedIn: @Gateway-Foundation

844-975-3663 (DONE)

The Way Back Inn – www.waybackinn.org

Chris Ward: chrisw@waybackinn.org wbi@waybackinn.org

Are You Really Winning – areyoureallywinning.com 

1-800-GAMBLER

Tanya shares a personal story of growing up in an active gambling community and draws parallels to how that environment played a role in her development as a mental health professional.  We discuss her childhood growing up in Chicago during a time when active gambling houses were common within the community and provided a social outlet for family and friends.  Throughout our conversation we discuss how gambling as a group activity has evolved into a more individual (and potentially more easily hidden) model that is available to today’s gambler.

TASC – Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities

Gateway Foundation Gambling Treatment

Call Gateway Foundation: 855-723-0963

Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Are you Really Winning?

wagerdanger@gatewayfoundation.org

Dr. Nathan Smith is the founding Executive Director of Kindbridge Research Institute, a nationally recognized scientist and science communicator, and a leader in the field of behavioral addiction research and theory. 

In this episode we discuss the importance of understanding how gambling addiction effects various segments of the US population and how the Kindbridge Research Institute is laser focused on supporting our Military Veterans.  Nate’s passion for the study of gambling addiction really shines throughout the episode including: the importance of epidemiology and how it allows us to “get it right” and how the terminology we use to describe a gambling addiction needs clarification.  We’re fortunate to have an advocate like Nate who is championing the study of gambling disorders.

Kindbridge Research Institute

Why Military Personnel are 3.5x More Prone to Problem Gambling

The Military Treatment Fund

DraftKings and Kindbridge Research Fund

About Kindbridge Research Institute

Gateway Foundation Gambling Treatment

Call Gateway Foundation: 855-723-0963

Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Are you Really Winning?

wagerdanger@gatewayfoundation.com 

Emily Bernard is an addictions counselor at Hour House.  Recognizing that recovery and change happens “one hour at a time”, Hour House offers treatment services to address substance use & gambling disorders, co-occurring dependency & other therapy needs.

Emily shares her passion for her work and why a focus on the individual is important to affect lasting change for their clients.  

More about Hour House is available at: https://hourhouserecovery.org

TASC serves those in need of substance use disorders, co-occurring mental health conditions, gambling disorders or family health and reunification challenges.  

Tanya Bibbs-Smith talks about her outreach efforts across IL to reach youth and adolescents that are exposed to gaming and gambling at an early age. She’s helping this demographic understand the connection between their actions and how it has the potential to lead towards a gambling disorder.  

More about TASC can be found at: https://tasc.org

Located in Central Illinois, Heritage provides comprehensive community-based services to treat the most serious behavioral disorders.

Teagan Shull joins the show to discuss how Heritage places an emphasis on screening for Gambling Disorder and how Heritage responds to the increase in identifying and serving gambling disorders within the communities they serve.

More can be found at: https://heritagenet.org/gambling

Gambling disorder service providers sit down with Wager Danger to discuss their approach to community outreach and treatment for problem gambling. We explore topics that include: 

• The intense shame that sometimes prevents men from seeking assistance with problem gambling, and the resulting observation that women are more likely to complete the program. 
• How young people are at increased risk to gambling disorder. 
• How telehealth breaks down the barriers to treatment and screening tools that help facilitate the access to treatment options.

Engage with Wager Danger:

email: wagerdanger@gatewayfoundation.org

Follow Gateway Foundation:

Facebook & Twitter: @recovergateway

LinkedIn: @gateway-foundation

Website: https://gatewayfoundation.org

Seek Assistance:

Gateway Foundation Helpline: 1-844-975-DONE (3663)

National and State of IL Helpline: 1-800-GAMBLER

The state of Illinois recently launched a new advertising campaign aimed at creating awareness for problem gambling.  We sat down with John Harris, President of a5 digital consultancy to better understand the meaning behind the campaign.  While the campaign is designed to create awareness and encourage those with gambling issues to seek assistance, what we ultimately learned is that “Are You Really Winning” is a message of hope.  More information can be found at: www.areyoureallywinning.com or 1-800-GAMBLER or by texting GAMB to 833234.

Engage with Wager Danger: 

email: wagerdanger@gatewayfoundation.org

Follow Gateway Foundation:

Facebook & Twitter: @recovergateway

LinkedIn: @gateway-foundation

Website: https://gatewayfoundation.org

Seek Assistance:

Gateway Foundation Helpline: 1-844-975-DONE (3663)

National and State of IL Helpline: 1-800-GAMBLER

Sandra is a compassionate mental health advocate that brings passion, experience and empathy to her profession.  She has spent several years in the field as a proponent for providing disordered gambling services and eliminating the stigma often associated with problem gambling. 

Engage with Wager Danger.  Please feel free to email us at:

wagerdanger@gatewayfoundation.org

References:

https://gatewayfoundation.org

https://areyoureallywinning.com

Help lines:

Gateway Foundation – Gambling Hotline: 1-844-975-DONE

Nationally – 1-800-GAMBLER

Another out-of-studio episode in which we gather with former guests and new friends to review the first conference in Illinois aimed at understanding the prevalence and impact of problem gambling in the LatinX community.  We were joined by 7 mental health professionals throughout the show to discuss everything from:

-         How the similarity of OCD and gambling disorder affects the brain (03:08)

-         That nearly 1.1 million residents of IL are suffering from disordered gambling or are at high risk to developing a gambling disorder (10:40)

-         What it means to “Feed the Pig” (26:10)

-         Understanding that the propensity to gamble has so much power over the brain that you can literally teach a rat to gamble (28:40)

Guests joining the program (in order) include: Dr. Teresa Garate, Jim Wilkerson, Calvin Miller, Elizabeth Thielan, Dr. Celeste Napier, Dr. Mauricio Cifuentes and Bill Johnson.

Gateway Foundation’s Gambling Helpline 1-844-375-DONE (3663)

Gateway Foundation website: https://www.gatewayfoundation.org

Illinois Department of Human Services / Substance Use Prevention and Recovery – Are You Really Winning website – https://areyoureallywinning.com

Illinois Helpline for Problem Gambling – 1-800-GAMBLER

Dr. Mauricio Cifuentes, Clinical Director at Cicero Family Service, discusses the importance of intentionally based programs that incorporate cultural humility to reach the LatinX community.  Highlights include:

• How religion and beliefs plays a critical role

• Intentionally designed outreach programs are key to effectively communicating the potential harm of gambling; and

• How Cicero Family Service leads by creating holistic programs that create awareness, educate and serve their community.

Family Service Mental Health Center of Cicero (aka, Cicero Family Service) - https://www.cicerofs.org/

Gateway Foundation - https://www.gatewayfoundation.org/

*** Trigger warning *** Gambling, the wagering process, “bad beats”, big wins, etc are all discussed in this episode.  Please listen with caution if these topics are potentially triggering. 

Suicide contemplation is also mentioned in this episode.  If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide or emotional distress, please dial 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 24/7.

Joel Soper joins the show to discuss the motivation behind writing a person account of his struggles with gambling.  We learn how Joel first got started betting at an early age, what he hopes to accomplish by sharing his story, the uniqueness of sports betting and why he believes it has mass appeal to a wide audience.  Joel is candid about his recovery journey and realizes it is a “work in progress” that requires vigilance each day.

https://www.gatewayfoundation.org/mental-health/process-addictions/gambling-addiction/

Taking the show to the streets for candid interviews with Cubs and White Sox fans about gambling. Many shared thoughts, opinions and personal accounts. 

https://www.gatewayfoundation.org/mental-health/process-addictions/gambling-addiction/