The Montana Department of Justice website states, “Problem gambling is behavior that damages relationships, runs up large debts, and may lead to criminal activity.”
I would add that it also hurts families and must be treated with urgency as it is a public health crisis.
According to an annual survey by Wallethub.com, “Montana ranks third when it comes to gambling addiction, as around 2.5% (or over 25,000) of the state’s residents have a gambling disorder, one of the highest percentages in the country. It may be difficult for people to overcome their addiction, too, considering the fact that Montana does not have many gambling counselors and doesn’t require businesses to train their employees on disordered and problem gambling.”
Notably, the same survey in 2016 had us ranked at 11th for folks with gambling addiction. Now we are third. The problem is getting worse.
Last legislative session I brought a bill to help address this crisis in a small, but impactful way. HB 204 would have placed a sticker of a gambling addiction hotline on every video gambling machine in Montana. It was free to taxpayers and would cost business owners the price of a sticker. It was the smallest, easiest, step I could think of. The bill died early in the process due to some ridiculous claims from industry lobbyists, who said the Montana Council of Problem Gaming was an effective solution to the addiction problem.
The Montana Council of Problem Gaming board is made up of two government officials and three gambling industry lobbyists (two of whom spoke against HB 204). They work for the Montana Tavern Association and the Montana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association.
Talk about appointing the fox to guard the hen house! The council you would expect to work to curb gambling addiction actually directly profits from gambling addiction. Efforts by this organization to prevent awareness of addiction treatment show you the real business model of video gambling: exploit those Montanans who need help, for money.
Your local saloon isn’t in charge of Alcoholics Anonymous for a reason.
We can not have healthy, thriving communities if we allow exploitative businesses to “self-regulate” their profits over the good of Montana’s families. Ask your legislators to support real efforts to prevent the harm caused by addiction, and reject shameful, fake industry “self-regulation.”
Kelly Kortum is a Democratic state representative from Bozeman.