Get Help Quick With 1-800-BETS OFF
The 1-800-BETS OFF (1-800-522-4700) helpline is sponsored by the Iowa Gambling Treatment Program and funded by gaming tax dollars. This helpline is a resource for problem gamblers and their loved ones in Iowa. The 1-800-BETS OFF website offers valuable information, such as how to spot the warning signs of compulsive gambling and where to turn for help.
Self-Guided Program: Your First Step to Change
"Your First Step to Change" is a self-guided program developed by The Division on Addictions, Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Visit the "Your First Step to Change" site to fill out a private questionnaire, which can be done online and saved, or downloaded and printed.
The gambling version of "Your First Step to Change" is the first of several self-guided programs that will be available on the new BASIS website (Brief Addiction Science Information Source).
National Center For Responsible Gaming
The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) was the first national organization exclusively devoted to funding independent, peer-reviewed scientific research on pathological and youth gambling. The NCRG was founded in 1996 to improve prevention and treatment of gambling disorders through research and public education. With its grant-making functions conducted by Harvard's Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders, the NCRG now focuses on its public education mission with an annual conference that brings together the leading research scientists at top universities to report their findings.
National Council on Problem Gambling
The mission of the National Council on Problem Gambling is to increase public awareness of pathological gambling, ensure the widespread availability of treatment for problem gamblers and their families, and to encourage research and programs for prevention and education.
Harvard Medical School's Division on Addictions
The mission of the Division on Addictions at Harvard Medical School is to strengthen worldwide understanding of addiction through innovative research, education and the global exchange of information. The Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders was established in 2000 as a program of the Division on Addictions at Harvard Medical School with support from the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG).
"Facing the Odds: The Mathematics of Gambling and Other Risks" is a middle school-level curriculum on probability, statistics and mathematics developed by Harvard Medical School Division on Addictions and the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling. The purpose is to enhance students' interest in mathematics and provide the knowledge and skills that can help students to think more critically. This curriculum aims to make mathematics more meaningful to students and more relevant to their daily lives by introducing concepts of probability and statistics through the use of gambling- and media-related topics. With the proliferation of gambling opportunities throughout America, young people have exposure to, and inherent curiosity in gambling-related matters; this curriculum uses this curiosity to present important mathematical concepts.
Executive Management & Employee Responsible Gaming Education (EMERGE)
This Web-based training program was developed by Harvard Medical School faculty with support from the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) and the Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders. EMERGE is a scientific research-based, self-paced program that teaches employees about the nature of addiction, how gambling can become an addiction, and the specific responsible gaming policies and practices of their company. EMERGE is available to employees 24/7 thanks to its online platform. For more information on EMERGE, visit www.emerge-training.org.
Project 21
Originated by Harrah's Atlantic City in 1989, Project 21 educates employees and minors on the consequences of underage gambling. The project has now been adopted by IGA members.
"Who's 21?"
The gaming industry encourages responsible gaming through its enforcement of age restrictions. All Iowa gaming customers must be at least 21 years of age and carry a valid photo ID.
Because it's often difficult to determine a person's age by sight, the properties card everyone who appears to be under the age of 30.
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