The Illinois Department of Human Services has launched a new campaign under the tagline of “Are You Really Winning?” aimed at addressing the fallacy that gambling can make you rich and looking at problem gambling as a mental and public health issue. The campaign is aimed at addressing the issue and raising awareness about problem gambling and those suffering from the condition.

New Campaign in Illinois Seeks to Raise Awareness about Gambling Problems

An estimated 4% of Illinois’ population is currently experiencing gambling disorder, meaning some 400,000 people. There are another 700,000 people though who are classified as people at risk of developing the issue, presenting the state with a serious dilemma. Legalizing gambling was meant to help prop up ailing public finances and clamp down on the black market, but it is also creating fresh challenges that Illinois needs to move quickly to nip in the bud.

The campaign hopes to educate the public on how to spot the signs of addiction and seek out help in a timely manner, turning to free and specialist resources that can be accessed by anyone. Commenting on this campaign, Illinois Department of Human Services secretary Grace B. Hou said:

I hope this campaign will continue to raise awareness of the effective treatment and recovery options available to people experiencing problem gambling disorder.

Illinois Department of Human Services secretary Grace B. Hou

Meanwhile, people experiencing problem gambling issues can keep turning to the available helplines such as 1-800-GAMBLER, a confidential helpline. The latest initiative is available on the official AreYouReallyWinning dot com website. The rate of problem gamblers in Illinois is in fact a reason for concern.

Illinois Needs to Keep Addressing the Issue

The national average is 1% of the population, with 2 million adults in the United States meeting the criteria of suffering from severe gambling problems every year, according to data collated by the National Council of Problem Gambling. Illinois’ 4% encompasses people who have struggled with gambling disorder in some form, but it’s still a fairly high number.

The mass legalization of gambling in the United States has come with these new challenges and strong opposition from concerned groups that there is not enough funding going into tackling the problem. According to a report commissioned by the state Gaming Board, problem gamblers in the state spend an average of $16,750 annually on gambling and they have an average debt of more than $50,000. The latest campaign seeks to amend this.