The Arizona Division of Problem Gambling recently announced that it has expanded access to financial counseling for problem gambling. The goal is to make their responsible gaming tools more accessible for individuals dealing with gambling addiction. With this move, Arizona is setting the tone for other states to take a proactive approach to addressing this major issue.
With this announcement, Arizona residents who have enrolled in voluntary self-exclusion from sports betting can have access to free financial counseling.
Elise Mikkelsen, director at the Arizona Division of Problem Gambling, stated that “broadening access to financial counseling strengthens Arizona’s continuum of care by ensuring more individuals have the tools, support, and guidance they need to rebuild as they continue in recovery.”
This will be offered through GamFin, a specialized financial counseling service for problem gambling. GamFin already has services in Colorado, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Oregon. It’s become a leading provider, now contracted by Arizona to provide this service.
Alex De Marco, founder of GamFin stated that “Providing people with practical, judgment-free financial guidance is at the heart of what we do, and we’re proud to team up with the Arizona Division of Problem Gambling.”
Here’s how the program works:
To participate, those who enroll in self-exclusion can receive access to this counseling shortly after. To do so, Arizona residents can access the Arizona Department of Gaming website to fill out a form. From there, they can receive this timely financial counseling.
Before this expansion, Arizonans could only get financial counseling if they were enrolled in the state’s Treatment Assistance Program, but that wasn’t a no-cost initiative like this one. By providing this assistance for free, Arizona is enhancing its tools to address problem gambling.
The move to provide free access to financial counseling for those enrolled in self-exclusion programs comes after an Arizona Department of Gaming survey, which found that the state has an ongoing need for stronger prevention and treatment for problem gambling.
The survey showed that approximately one in five Arizona adults reported dealing with problem gambling, while 18% of respondents were in the moderate to high-risk range on the Problem Gambling Severity Index.
The move to expand financial counseling comes after the Arizona Department of Gaming’s recent launch of a public awareness campaign. Known as “Take Back the Game,” the goal is to use TV and other media to raise awareness about self-exclusion to help with problem gambling.
Combined with financial counseling expansion, the two moves show that Arizona is taking the necessary steps to enhance its problem gambling treatment programs. With the moves coming after these recent survey results, It’s a good example of how a state is using pertinent data to inform its next steps to address issues like problem gambling.
