According to the Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling, more than 250,000 Minnesotans are suffering from gambling-related problems, but the state has only 19 licensed therapists that are certified to treat gambling addiction.
In an attempt to address the shortage in counseling staff, Metro State University has introduced a course that aims to instruct future counselors on how to treat problem gambling effectively. The course will focus on the psychological and physiological effects that gambling addiction has on the human body, along with the influence problem gambling has on a sufferer’s finances and family.
Craig Johnson, the MSU instructor who will lead the first-of-its-kind class, said gambling addiction “is a problem that gets exponentially bigger every year, and we need to be able to have the resources and the trained counselors to address this issue.”
Johnson, who is a licensed and certified gambling counselor, explained that the convenience and accessibility of betting apps, along with the rise in legal online sports betting across the country, is increasing the number of those who suffer from gambling addiction.
“I have almost 30 patients, and I’d say a quarter of them are struggling with sports wagering,” Johnson said.
While Minnesota does not offer sports betting, state lawmakers are discussing legalizing it, with the House and Senate agreeing to raise the proposed tax rate on Minnesota sports betting from 10 percent to 20 percent. Part of the potential revenue would be used to sponsor tax cuts on charitable gambling.
