Key takeaways
- Nebraska reports a nearly $500 million budget shortfall.
- To save money, the state could eliminate a problem gambling agency.
- The state could also cut problem funding as a share of casino taxes.
- The Nebraska Council on Problem Gambling opposes the legislation.
- Bills to slash problem gambling support are LB1071 and LB1072.
At a time when gambling has significantly increased in Nebraska, surrounding states, and across the country, it is illogical and irresponsible to tear apart a program that has given thousands of Nebraskans a new outlook on life.
If these proposed changes pass, essential problem gambling treatment in Nebraska will be gutted, undermining recovery and hope for many.
The Nebraska Council on Problem Gambling opposes eliminating the Nebraska Commission on Problem Gambling, moving the Gamblers Assistance Program to the Department of Health & Human Services, and reducing casino tax funding for treatment.
Nebraska Budget Shortfall
In an attempt to alleviate a $471 million budget shortfall, Gov. Jim Pillen asked state senators to bring forward a budget appropriations bill that would make extensive cuts and reallocate funds across various state agencies.
One of the targeted agencies is the Nebraska Commission on Problem Gambling, the decision-making body responsible for approving and overseeing problem gambling treatment providers. Also included in this legislation is a decrease in funding to problem gambling treatment from casino tax revenue from 2.5% to 1%.
As Executive Director of the Nebraska Council on Problem Gambling, I have a crucial perspective on this topic. Beyond my work within the nonprofit, I am a problem gambler in recovery. And I am proud to say that the Nebraska Commission on Problem Gambling saved my life.
Without the treatment I received through the Gamblers Assistance Program, I would either be in prison or dead. And my story is similar to the hundreds of problem gambling clients I know.
Problem Gambling Cuts at Worst Possible Time
The normalization of gambling behavior in Nebraska is obvious.
Over the past six years, Nebraskans have watched the development of five casinos, heard the debate over mobile sports betting, and realized that many residents are driving to surrounding states to place sports bets.
Nebraskans have seen the proliferation of cash devices, aka “skill touch machines,” which make gambling available in every community.
Furthermore, Nebraskans are affected by the rapid growth and lack of regulation of prediction markets, which allow people to make risky financial decisions from their phones.
Nebraskans cannot consume TV, radio, or social media without consuming gambling ads.
Daily exposure to gambling has created more disordered gambling than ever. Cutting support now will directly worsen this growing crisis.
The Commission on Problem Gambling has addressed the gambling boom in a fiscally responsible and effective manner. This is accomplished through a full-time commitment to building a team of gambling counselors, trained on the specific needs of a problem gambler.
Funding Costs Don’t Make Economic Sense
Problem gambling is costly to Nebraska.
Experts estimate that problem gambling causes $14 billion in annual social costs in the U.S. This includes increased healthcare spending, criminal justice system involvement, job loss, and bankruptcy. Nebraska is not immune to these social costs.
One in five with severe gambling addiction will attempt suicide, a rate higher than any other addiction. Research indicates that problem gamblers are 15 times more likely to die by suicide.
These statistics show that problem gambling is a public health crisis requiring targeted, extensive treatment—cutting funding now exacerbates harm across Nebraska.
My personal mission is to reduce gambling-related harm amongst all Nebraskans. And I am blessed to lead an organization committed to that same cause. I advocate for those who have found a new lease on life.
We must protect hope and recovery for Nebraskans struggling with gambling addiction by preventing the destruction of the Nebraska Commission on Problem Gambling.
Mike Sciandra is the Executive Director of the Nebraska Council on Problem Gambling (NeCPG). NeCPG is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and the sole Nebraska affiliate of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG).
Editing by Brian Pempus, founder, GamblingHarm.org.
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