Oregon Problem Gambling Helpline
Oregon Problem Gambling Figures
Oregon Prevalence Estimates
- More than 74,000 Oregon adults (2.7% of adults) are currently believed to meet the criteria for being problem or pathological gamblers (Moore, 2006).
- One in every 25 Oregon teens (13-17 year-olds) has experienced gambling-related problems; that’s more than 10,000 Oregon teens (Carlson & Moore, 1998).
- One in ten teens is an “at-risk” gambler (he or she may be developing a gambling problem).
- About 6,000 Oregonians 62 years of age or older (1.2%) are believed to meet the criteria for problem or pathological gambling (Moore, 2001).
Consider the following OREGON statistics from 2005-2006 (Moore and Marotta, 2006, in press):
- Of the 1,700 OREGON gamblers who received publicly funded treatment in Oregon in 2005-2006, the following gambling-related consequences were reported:
- Average gambling debt: $23,331
- 28.4% had alcohol-related problems
- 23% of clients reported committing crimes to obtain gambling money
- More than 18% had suicidal thoughts, and up to 9.8% have made attempts
- 10.7% more gamblers were treated in 2005-2006 than were treated in the previous year
Financial Impact
- According to Earl Grinols (2004), the average social-economic cost of problem gamblers was approximately $3,000 each and $11,000 for each pathological gambler – an estimated social-economic cost in excess of $449 million for Oregonians.
- Those entering Oregon treatment had combined gambling-related debt of more than $27.6 million.
Gambling as an Addiction
Problem Gambling is gambling behavior which causes disruption in any major area of life, whether psychological, physical, social, and/or vocational. The term “Problem Gambling” includes, but is not limited to the correlation known as “Pathological” gambling or “Compulsive” gambling – a progressive addiction characterized by increasing preoccupation with gambling, a need to bet more money, gamble more frequently, restlessness or irritability when attempting to stop, “chasing” losses, and loss of control manifested by continuation of the gambling behavior in spite of mounting serious negative consequences.