Clinical differences in treatment efficacy between the casino and non-casino workers

Session Title

Session 3-3-A: Problem Gambling Motives and Pathways

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation

Location

Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV

Start Date

25-5-2023 1:30 PM

End Date

25-5-2023 3:00 PM

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

Casino employees experience a workplace culture that fosters a liberal view towards gambling and includes unconventional work hours. Therefore, casino workers are three times more likely to develop a gambling addiction. There is little literature comparing the efficacy of similar problem gambling treatment interventions on individuals working in a casino compared to individuals who do not. This presentation will discuss whether a person’s work environment affects the recovery rate from problem gambling. For example, is it harder to recover from problem gambling if you work in a gaming environment? The study was a quantitative quasi-experimental comparative descriptive program evaluation analyzing archival data from 338 diagnosed problem gamblers that attended an intensive outpatient program in Las Vegas. Inferential statistical tests indicated casino workers presented to treat with greater severity of gambling-related symptoms than non-casino workers. Results from one-year post-treatment revealed that 44.1% of the participants had abstained from gambling. When analyzing the separate employment groups, 54.2% of casino workers were abstinent compared to only 40.8% of non-casino workers, a statistically significant difference. The presentation will examine gambling behaviors and other social, vocational, and quality-of-life measures of problem gamblers.

Keywords

Problem gambling treatment, casino workers, treatment efficacy

Author Bios

Dr. Kobie West is the assistant clinical director of the Dr. Robert Hunter International Problem Gambling Center (PGC) in Las Vegas, Nevada. PGC is the largest treatment center for problem gamblers in Nevada. Dr. West is a certified problem gambling and licensed alcohol and drug counselor who has worked for years with clients struggling with mental health and addiction disorders.

Funding Sources

This research project was conducted by the author and a graduate assistant with no outside funding.

Competing Interests

This research project was conducted by the author and a graduate assistant with no outside funding.

Comments

I tried submitting last week but not sure it went through. Sorry if this is a duplicate. Only requesting one presentation.

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May 25th, 1:30 PM May 25th, 3:00 PM

Clinical differences in treatment efficacy between the casino and non-casino workers

Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV

Casino employees experience a workplace culture that fosters a liberal view towards gambling and includes unconventional work hours. Therefore, casino workers are three times more likely to develop a gambling addiction. There is little literature comparing the efficacy of similar problem gambling treatment interventions on individuals working in a casino compared to individuals who do not. This presentation will discuss whether a person’s work environment affects the recovery rate from problem gambling. For example, is it harder to recover from problem gambling if you work in a gaming environment? The study was a quantitative quasi-experimental comparative descriptive program evaluation analyzing archival data from 338 diagnosed problem gamblers that attended an intensive outpatient program in Las Vegas. Inferential statistical tests indicated casino workers presented to treat with greater severity of gambling-related symptoms than non-casino workers. Results from one-year post-treatment revealed that 44.1% of the participants had abstained from gambling. When analyzing the separate employment groups, 54.2% of casino workers were abstinent compared to only 40.8% of non-casino workers, a statistically significant difference. The presentation will examine gambling behaviors and other social, vocational, and quality-of-life measures of problem gamblers.