Concord, NH – With support from the New Hampshire Lottery and complete with a brand new website and office space, the New Hampshire Council on Problem Gambling is launching a renewed statewide effort to help those suffering from gambling addictions. According to the Council, which was initially launched in 1996, about 20,000 people in New Hampshire suffer from gambling addictions. Nationally, officials estimate that about 6 to 8 million people have gambling problems, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. For more information on gambling addictions and the resources the New Hampshire Council on Problem Gambling offers, please visit: http://nhproblemgambling.org/
“Gambling addiction is a major problem for thousands of New Hampshire residents, but the New Hampshire Council on Problem Gambling is here to help,” said Ed Talbot, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Council on Problem Gambling. “We are looking to build a statewide network of services and resources to address this growing problem in New Hampshire.”
The New Hampshire Council on Problem Gambling is launching its new website to coincide with Problem Gambling Awareness Month. During March, and all year long, the National Council on Problem Gambling aims to raise awareness about problem gambling by educating the public and healthcare professionals about the warning signs, while also promoting the availability of help and hope locally and nationally, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
While the New Hampshire Council on Problem Gambling has existed since 1996, it has never received any state funding for problem gambling services. Until 2009, when New Hampshire established its own organization, New Hampshire and Vermont operated a joint council working to address problem gambling. The New Hampshire Council’s new website offers resources, tips and guidance for people and families suffering from gambling addictions. The Council also features a 24/7 helpline. Along with in-kind support, the New Hampshire Lottery has provided the New Hampshire Council on Problem Gambling with a total of $50,000 over the past two years.
“The New Hampshire Lottery recognizes it has a social responsibility to assist individuals with gambling issues,” said Charlie McIntyre, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Lottery Commission. “It is important that the New Hampshire Lottery supports this meaningful effort, and we are proud to support the New Hampshire Council on Problem Gambling in any way we can.”
Talbot, a person in recovery from a gambling addiction and a certified gambling councilor, was one of the original incorporators of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling. He sat on that board of directors for seven years. This renewed effort in New Hampshire lays the foundation for more comprehensive services. Currently, there are 48 gamblers anonymous meetings taking place regularly across Massachusetts, compared to just three in New Hampshire.
“An addiction is an addiction, and while the symptoms of gambling addictions are easier to mask compared to drug and alcohol addictions, they are very similar in nature,” Talbot explained. “With a gambling addiction, it’s all psychological—you think all of your debts can be fixed with the right play.”
The four-member board of directors of the New Hampshire Council on Problem Gambling includes: President Dot Duda, former clinical director, Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Mass.; Vice-President Maura McCann, Director of Marketing for the New Hampshire Lottery; Treasurer Peter Duda, safety director of a private Boston Construction Company; and Secretary Roy Woodman, retired. Other Council members include Debi LaPlante, Ph.D., director of research and academic affairs, Division on Addiction, Harvard Medical School; Bill Butynski, former 10-year New Hampshire state representative from Hinsdale; Manchester state representative Pat Long; Abby Shockley, Deputy Director of Policy and Information for Bi-State Primary Care Association; and Kathleen Scanlan, Executive Director, Association of Problem Gambling Service Administrators.
About the NH Council on Problem Gambling-
The New Hampshire Council on Problem Gambling is a private nonprofit agency created to address the social, financial and emotional costs of problem gambling. The Council provides information, education, advocacy and prevention services as well as referrals to treatment for problem gambling to those afflicted, their loved ones and the community.