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Gambling Treatment at Prairie Ridge Returns

In February, Prairie Ridge Addictions Treatment Services began offering counseling to problem gamblers for the first time in eight years due to an increase in places to gamble.

The program was discontinued in 1998 due to a decrease in the number of people seeking treatment. After that, people with gambling problems had to travel to Fort Dodge or Waterloo for counseling.

Rolena Hadwiger, prevention manager at Prairie Ridge, said the center first offered gambling addiction treatment in 1986, not long after the start of the Iowa Lottery.

Earlier this year, Prairie Ridge received a grant from Iowa Department of Public Health so the center could once again offer gambling addiction treatment.

Hadwiger said they were anticipating more people seeking treatment due to the increased number of gambling venues in the state - including the Diamond Jo casino in Worth County. "Wherever you live in Iowa, 40 to 50 miles away there is a place where you can gamble," she said.

Prairie Ridge is averaging around three assessments for gambling addiction per week. The counselor doing the assessment decides if the person needs treatment.

Some people come to Prairie Ridge for substance abuse treatment as well as gambling addiction treatment.

Prarie Ridge works with a financial group as a resource for gambling clients because they often are overwhelmed with problems. The average gambling addict loses $25,000 a year, according to Hadwiger.