The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto has launched a new set of online tools to help gambling addicts and their families. It is aimed at helping individuals who would not normally seek help, allowing them to do so anonymously in the online world. CAMH estimates that the new online application will help over 350 000 individuals across Ontario who are struggling with gambling problems.
According to CAMH, there are plenty of reasons why gambling addicts do not seek help, including shame, denial and lack of free time. The new online tools help to overcome these obstacles by allowing those with issues to access self-help tools anonymously anytime they wish.
There are several innovative tools available, including a Gambling Quiz. This short test will help gamblers tell if the activity is having a negative impact on their lives. Other tools include the interactive application that aims to help users cut down on their gambling and monitoring service so that they can understand just how much of their time and money they spend on gambling.
It is one of the first programs of its kind worldwide, and could be a ground-breaking development in the treatment of problem gambling. We look forward to reporting on the success of the application in the near future.
