Gambling Disorder Committee Minutes 04/30/2021

  • Meeting was held via Zoom video-conference.
  • Committee members and guests in attendance by phone or video conference were welcomed.
    • Members in attendance were: Co-Chairs Anita Pindiur & Elizabeth Thielen, Nick Lurz, Ciunal Lewis, Catherine McNeilly, Gene O'Shea, and Rodney Walker.
    • Guests in attendance were: Hannah Carliner, Kellie Gage, Jim Wilkerson and Lisa Wolff
  • The March 26, 2021 minutes, sent earlier to Committee members, were also displayed on the screen. A motion to approve minutes made by Ciuinal Lewis, seconded by Catherine McNeilly. The minutes were voted on and unanimously approved.
  • Anita shared the preliminary collaboration that has occurred with the Women's Committee, another subcommittee of the Illinois Substance Use Disorder Advisory Council. It was opened up for discussion how we could collaborate more fully moving forward. The new co-chairs, when established, will be invited to an upcoming Gambling Disorder Committee meeting. A basic overview of the Women's Committee efforts was mentioned, but a better understanding of their purpose will be sought to help us determine how we can best collaborate moving forward.
  • Ideas were discussed about how to have even greater collaboration and coordination next year during Problem Gambling Awareness Month. It was reported that recordings from PGAM events may soon have a spot on the weknowthefeeling.org website, so they can all be viewed in the same place. Thoughts were shared about better reaching out to family members of problem gamblers next PGAM, with some cautions about being mindful of domestic violence issues that are not uncommon when a gambling problem is discovered. The Family Resource Center out of the CEAD Council was listed as a potential resource in this effort. Contact information was provided to help start the conversation.
  • An update was provided on progress towards development of a self-exclusion option for video gaming. There are a lot of timing and legal issues that will need to be sorted out. It was reported that a self-excluded individual was caught after trying to claim winnings from a sports wager. It was discussed how this process can help interrupt what could be a lengthy and harmful gambling episode. The group learned of a documentary being produced on the subject of video gaming in Illinois, and individuals impacted by video gambling may have an opportunity to tell their story as a result. This group will be welcomed to attend any of our committee meetings, as meetings are open to the public to allow for public viewing and input.
  • An update was provided regarding the statewide gambling impact/prevalence study. Data collection has been completed, and it appears the responses are representative of the state, with regards to race and region. Data collection from frequent gamblers has also been completed, with 1,000-1,500 responses. Focus groups and interviews are almost completed. Discussion surrounded the hope the findings will serve as a baseline, with periodic follow-up, to monitor the ongoing effect of the quickly-changing gambling landscape.
  • Elizabeth Thielen reported on the initial meetings of the workgroups formed to:
    • Develop guidelines for clinicians helping individuals seek removal from the Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program list. Preliminary work surrounded listing potential sources of information counselors could/should seek out, and standard questions for the excluded person and their significant other/collateral contact.
    • Train the criminal justice system about gambling disorder. Early planning surrounded how to progress towards this, possibly starting with a fact sheet to be shared with various aspects of the criminal justice system, and enlisting their input into next steps.
  • Anita Pindiur reported on the workgroup formed to look at potential recommendations related to gambling advertising. This expanded to potential unified messaging in both marketing for gambling products (with regards to advertising help for problem gambling) and gambling service providers. Further, ideas were shared to have a selection of sample ads that can be used by various providers, adding their own logo, to assist with consistency in marketing, as well as assistance in creative and message development (which is time-consuming and challenging for many providers).
  • Workgroups will continue approximately monthly, with additional work being done independently to share back to the larger group prior to making any formal recommendations.
  • A recap of Problem Gambling Awareness Month 2021 events, and their impact on public awareness was undertaken. A dramatic increase in calls to the helpline, visits to the helpline webpage (www.weknowthefeeling.org) and use of the site's chat function to connect with helpline staff was reported.
  • Some discussion surrounded whether to reschedule next month's meeting, as it falls on the Friday before the Memorial Day holiday, but the group will meet as scheduled, even if there may be lower attendance.
  • The next meeting will be held Friday, May 28, 2021 10:30 am
  • Meeting adjourned at 11:26 AM