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Amid the fallout of the $30 million in online poker payment processor funds seized by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District, the National Council on Problem Gambling hailed the introduction of HR 2906. The bill, known as the Comprehensive Problem Gambling Act, was brought to light due to the efforts of three Congressmen: Jim Moran (D-VA), Lee Terry (R-NE), and Frank Wolf (R-VA). The legislation allocates $14.2 million per year over five years to help treat problem gambling in the United States. PocketFives.com sat down with National Council on Problem Gambling Executive Director Keith Whyte to learn more.

The bill’s official introduction occurred on June 16th and it was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Whyte told PocketFives.com that legislation introduced by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) establishing a comprehensive framework for legalized and regulated internet gambling in the United States only adds to the cause: “The internet gambling bills on the Hill make it a little easier. When we look at diseases, alcohol is regulated and has coordination on the national level. It’s the same approach that we’re trying to get people to think about: not problem gambling as a vice, but rather as a disorder that is national in scope.” Gambling is traditionally regulated on the state level. Therefore, many would argue that problem gambling should also be treated on the state level.

A total of $14.2 million per year in funds is distributed among public awareness, research, and treatment, with $10 million annually allocated towards the latter component. Whyte noted that legalized internet gambling would only add to the need to have effective treatment for those affected by problem gambling: “It would represent a pretty substantial expansion of gambling in the United States. It’s going to call people’s attention to the fact that there is no Federal support or safety net. Whatever you think about gambling, we can all agree that treatment for problem gambling is important.” The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is charged with directing the Federal Government’s efforts.

This is the third piece of legislation ever driven by the National Council on Problem Gambling, which is fresh off its annual Awareness Week. The seven day festivities were held in March and historically coincide with the NCAA March Madness tournament, a major event for casual and professional bettors. For the first time, the Council reached out to interested parties through social networking sites such as YouTube. In fact, its YouTube channel generated 31 user-submitted problem gambling-related videos that were viewed over 5,000 times. Whyte boasted, “For us, there were a lot of folks who came across the channel that we didn’t necessarily know about, so we were reaching new people. That was really positive. We had tremendous feedback from our public service announcements and reached almost 50 million people between radio and television advertising.”

In the wake of the new legislation, the 23rd annual National Conference on Problem Gambling Prevention, Treatment, Responsible Gaming, Research, and Recovery will play out between June 25th and 27th in Indianapolis, Indiana. The conference’s sponsors include a bevy of casinos such as Argosy, French Lick, and Blue Chip in Michigan City, Indiana. On the timing on the bill’s unveiling in relation to the conference, Whyte noted, “There was some deliberate timing on the bill. It was driven by the fact that this is the oldest and largest conference devoted to problem gambling. In a tough economy, we’d be glad to get 300 people to Indianapolis. It’s a big event for us and the main focus is on prevention and treatment of gambling problems.” Attendees from as far away as New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom are expected to descend on the Midwestern city.

In order to secure Congressmen Moran’s, Terry’s, and Wolf’s involvement, Whyte and company made numerous visits to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The Executive Director relived the experience: “We have a number of members who are in recovery from gambling addictions. They deserve credit for going up to Capitol Hill. It takes a tremendous amount of courage and it opened a lot of people’s eyes. It’s not a sob story campaign, but it shows what’s here on the ground.” Signing onto HR 2906 is Frank, whose bill to license and regulate the internet gambling industry in the United States is up to 34 co-sponsors.

The National Council on Problem Gambling was founded in 1972 by Joseph Dunne and Robert Custer. According to its website, its two primary goals are: “That the organization would be the advocate for problem gamblers and their families, and that it would take no position for or against legalized gambling.” A special thank you from all of us here at PocketFives.com to National Council on Problem Gambling Executive Director Keith Whyte for joining us.