PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month. During the month, and all year long, ACAP/Healthy Aroostook, a Healthy Maine Partnership, aims to raise public awareness about problem gambling.
“Our goal is to educate the general public about the warning signs of problem gambling,” said Dawn Roberts, community education specialist for Healthy Aroostook. “Most adults gamble or know someone who gambles, and therefore could benefit from programs to prevent gambling addiction. Many people suffer in silence because they do not know about programs that could help.”
Healthy Aroostook has joined together with several state agencies and the two casinos in Maine to help individuals who think they may have a problem with casino gambling. The locations have been expanded for an individual to sign up for a program known as “self-exclusion.” Self-exclusion is a self-help process where an individual chooses, through a signed agreement, to not enter a casino for a period of one to five years, or in some cases, a lifetime. This process is helpful for those who may think that gambling has become a problem for them.
Healthy Aroostook became a site for self-exclusion in February 2014. Prior to expanding the program, the only place a person could begin the self-exclusion program was at either of the Maine casinos. Adding sites outside of that arena is one way that people can complete the paperwork without entering the environment they are attempting to avoid.
While most people gamble responsibly, gambling for some is an addiction that can cause major problems with work, relationships and family. Casino gambling is only one form of gambling that takes place in Maine, and self-exclusion is an option for Maine citizens to take control of behaviors that may be out of control. If you think you may have a gambling problem, dial 2-1-1 or visit www.211maine.org, or contact Roberts at 764-3721 or 1-800-432-7881. For more information on Maine’s self-exclusion program, including the locations to self-exclude, visit www.maine.gov/selfexclusion.
