Gambling by Professional Athletes , Coaches , And Referees is not that uncommon
Bradley Beach, NJ 07720 May 18 2008
Just read the headlines this week alone-----
Charles Barkley Troubled by Gambling Addiction Problem.
Dolphins' Will Allen Investigated for Pulling Gun in Dispute Over Gambling Debts.
Tim Donaghy x NBA referee is now in recovery for his gambling addiction
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When you look at the recent headlines about professional athletes,coaches and referees. and gambling,
The odds are very good it might be the tip of the ice burg. Athletes may be more vulnerable than the general population when you look at the soft signs of compulsive gambling:
High Levels of energy
Unreasonable expectations of winning
Very competitive personalities
Distorted optimism
Bright with high IQ's
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In December of 1999 Arnie Wexler, a compulsive-gamblers counselor, went to the National Basketball Association office in Manhattan and met with league officials, players and union officials, concerned about players' gambling. He recalled being told, "We have a problem, and we're trying to find out how bad the problem is." Wexler, a resident of Bradley Beach and former executive director of the New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling, was told to keep his calender open from January through March, to allow him to address every team in the league.
When he didn't hear from the NBA in a few weeks he called and asked, "When do we start?"
You don't, he was told. "They said, "The higher ups didn't want the media to find out.' "
The talks were canceled.
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I run a national help line (1-888-LAST BET ).
And over the years, I have spoken to many college and professional athletes who had a gambling problem. An NCAA study a few years ago said, "There is a disturbing trend of gambling among athletes in college." You can't think that these people will get into the pros and then just stop gambling.
Compulsive gambling is an addiction just like alcoholism and chemical dependency and all three diseases are recognized by the American Psychiatric Association's D.S.M. Yet, we treat compulsive gambling different then the other two addictions. Society and professional sports treat people with chemical dependency and alcoholism as sick people, send them to treatment and they get back to work yet they look at compulsive gamblers as bad people and they get barred from playing in professional sports
If the Colleges and professional leagues wanted to help the players, they would run real programs that seriously address the issue of gambling and compulsive gambling. Education and early detection can make a difference between life and death for some people who have or will end up with a gambling addiction.
"They need to have a real program for players, coaches and referees, and they need to let somebody else run it. When you do it in house, it's like the fox running the chicken coop.
You must be kidding your self if you think any player coach or referee is going to call the league and say,'I've got a gambling problem, and I need help?"
ARNIE IS A RECOVERING COMPULSIVE GAMBLER WHO PLACED HIS LAST BET 4/10/68
CALL ME I WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THIS---ARNIE WEXLER
Arnie Wexler (aswexler@aol.com)
Arnie & Sheila Wexler Associates
213 3rd Ave.
Bradley Beach, NJ 07720

Arnie Wexler (aswexler@aol.com)
Arnie & Sheila Wexler Associates
213 3rd Ave.
Bradley Beach, NJ 07720

WWW.ASWEXLER.COM