OLYMPIA — Some people, when they go to the store for milk and coffee, pick up a lottery ticket at the same time. Some people like to spend a day or a weekend at a tribal casino. Some people like to vacation in Las Vegas. And for most folks, that’s just fine. But for other people, any of those things is the first step into a very dark place. 

“Somewhere between 1% and 4% of adults are likely to be at risk or have a problem with gambling,” said Maureen Greeley, executive director of the Evergreen Council of Problem Gambling. “(According to) the last study done in Washington, that number was actually 8 (to) 9% of adolescents. A lot of people will say, ‘But how can that be? They're not old enough to gamble yet,’ But there are lots of ways to gamble. And if we all think back in our youth it's a time when you are risk taking, you're pushing boundaries, experimenting with some things, and gambling is probably one of those.” 

March is National Problem Gambling Awareness Month, chosen by the National Council on Problem Gambling because of its connection with March Madness and betting on sports, Greeley said.  

Many people view problem gambling as merely a financial issue, and it is in the sense that out-of-control gamblers can drain their bank accounts, destroy their marriages, lose their jobs and even land in prison as they go to greater and greater lengths to feed their habit. But at its root, according to the NCPG, it’s an emotional issue, a recognized mental health diagnosis. 

“People will often say to me; how can it be addictive? I'm not ingesting anything, I'm not having a blackout,’” Greeley said. “But the real issue with mental health problems is in the brain. The excitement of gambling can release the same endorphins, the same triggers in the brain, that are released by alcohol or substances.” 

Creating solutions  

So, what can be done about problem gambling? Well, in this state, some help is coming from a seemingly unlikely source: the Washington Lottery. Since 1982, the Washington Lottery has funded education through legal gambling. It seems like a contradiction for it to contribute to helping people stop gambling, but it really isn’t, said Kristi Weeks, director of legal services for the Washington Lottery. 

“Our mandate is to generate the maximum amount of revenue for the state consonant with the dignity of the state and the welfare of the people,” Weeks said. “That puts us in a very interesting position of being a state agency that sells a potentially harmful gambling product. So, it's something we take great pride in balancing very, very carefully.” 

The lottery, like any other gambling, is meant for people to have fun and use responsibly, Weeks said. And as long as that’s all they do, everybody is happy. But it can get out of hand. 

“It's not a retirement plan, it's not a get rich quick plan,” she said. “We market it as fun and that's all. An unhealthy player is not a good player.” 

The lottery donates a percentage of its revenue to the state’s problem gambling account, which is managed by the Washington Healthcare Authority, Weeks said. In 2024, that came to about $800,000, and it’s expected to be closer to $1 million this year. Last year, after five years of hard work and planning, the Washington Lottery became one of only three state and provincial lotteries in North America to achieve the nation’s highest level of responsible gambling certification.  

“Recognized by the National Council on Problem Gambling and the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, this certification is awarded only to lotteries that meet rigorous standards in key areas such as employee and retailer training, public education, product oversight, and advertising practices,” the Washington Lottery wrote in a statement. That means things like examining marketing to make sure it doesn’t appeal to children, Weeks said. 

It also means helping gamblers who want to be helped, through the voluntary exclusion program.  

“(It’s for) when a problem gambler is having a moment of clarity and saying, ‘I can't do this anymore. You got to help me cut myself off,’” Weeks said. “I's most usually used by casinos, but there are examples across the United States of voluntary self-exclusion programs for lottery.” 

Anyone who wins a lottery prize over $600 has to go to a lottery office to claim it and fill out paperwork, Weeks explained. A gambler who participates in the voluntary self-exclusion program will show up on a list of people not allowed to claim the prize. The reasoning is that a gambler knows they can’t win, they don’t get the same thrill from playing. 

“I don't know if it's working,” Weeks said. “I can tell you that we have had relatively few people enroll. That's okay. It was an easy enough program for us to put together. It didn't cost us anything. And if we're helping just a handful of people, then it was worth it.” 

Making the call 

There’s more help available from the state for problem gamblers, Greeley said, through the Department of Behavioral Health and Recovery. The state maintains a helpline people can call, anonymously if they prefer, Greeley said. 

“You're going to get a trained human being, who is empathetic, who is non-judgmental, who is going to help them,” she said. “I can call them and give them my zip code, and they will plug it in and give me a list of treatment providers near me. They will offer to follow up, but that's not a requirement.” 

What they’ll steer the caller to isn’t a support group like Gamblers Anonymous, Greeley said, although those have helped many people as well. Rather, the state subsidizes mental health providers who are trained in dealing with problem gambling.  

“Often, it's a family member who will call and seek help first to say, ‘someone I love is having a problem. It's impacting me too,’” Greeley said. 

Along with the mental health counseling, there are also financial management professionals who can help the gambler get their life back on track, she added. 

“When someone has a gambling problem they may have impacted their finances to a very high degree,” Greeley said. “They may have lost a job; they may be looking at losing their home. So, what can we do to help them from the financial management side as well? It's very holistic.” 

There is hope 

If you or someone you love is having trouble controlling their gambling, call 1-800-547-6133 or visit www.evergreencpg.org for information and help.