Gambling help left on table in Oklahoma

About one-third of state money earmarked for helping problem gamblers is going unused, although treatment advocates insist it’s not because of the lack of compulsive gamblers. The problem, they say, is a need for more public awareness.

Meanwhile, there are 110 casinos in Oklahoma, and the payouts for the state lottery have gotten more lucrative. In Louisiana and other states with casinos, the gambling help line must be placed on their billboards.

"The roadsides are inundated with casino billboards. And you know how many billboards we have in Oklahoma with the gambling help line number? — not one,” said Wiley Harwell, executive director of the Oklahoma Association for Problem and Compulsive Gambling.

The statewide advocacy organization contracts with the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to maintain a 24-hour help line, offer community education and promote counseling services. The state spent $143,000 in 2008 to promote awareness about gambling addiction and treatment.

Harwell said casinos are the only sure place to find information about treatment. By law, casinos must have the information available, he said.

Last fiscal year, 245 Oklahomans sought help through one of the 12 certified gambling treatment providers contracted with the state.

Caletta McPherson, a deputy commissioner with the state mental health department, said treatment for gambling addiction is in its infancy. She knows there are numerous untreated addicts.

Putting more resources into a public awareness campaign is being discussed, but it hasn’t been determined how best to reach Oklahoma’s problem gamblers, she said.