Gambling News by Gambling Headquarters

While the holidays are supposed to be a festive time, they can often be problematic for people who have a gambling addiction, researchers say. "People gamble when they have time on their hands," said James Whelan, an associate professor and psychologist who researches and treats problem gambling at the University of Memphis. Though no known statistics link gambling to the holidays, Whelan's colleague Andrew Meyers, said "people often use vacation time to focus on gambling." Whelan and Meyers founded The Institute for Gambling Education and Research in the University of Memphis psychology department in 1998. The program includes The Gambling Clinic, which offers five-session treatment for problem gamblers for $150 with a promise of $75 back if the patient returns in six months for a follow-up. The clinic, which is one of two research-based clinics in the country, has treated more than 300 gamblers. Whelan said the clinic often sees an increase in business after the holidays because "breaking bad habits is usually a priority for people following the New Year." To help their patients do that, the researchers say they use a method similar to one used in dieting. "The assumption is that people can change and that they canregulate behaviors," Whelan said. "They can learn to take control of their lives." Whether it's gambling or another type of addiction, Whelan has outlined some strategies for taking control. One of them, he said, involves looking for alternatives to the addiction. For example, he told the story of a man who gambled while his wife was away. To kill the urge, Whelan said the man turned his attention to reading books because "this guy could read and be entertained." "Addictions can be impossible to replace, but not impossible to find alternatives to," Whelan said. New research from the University of Connecticut Health Center inFarmington found that people who gamble are more likely to develop health problems, such as heart and liver disease. The study surveyed 43,000 Americans and found that people who gamble at least five times a year showed higher rates of liver disease, high blood pressure, and high heart rate and chest pain caused by blocked arteries. It also found that gamblers had increased rates of obesity and alcoholism and were more likely to smoke.