On April 19, 2007 approximately 100 professionals from Nevada and other states gathered at the Orleans Hotel & Casino to launch the 1st Annual Nevada State Conference on Problem Gambling. The Nevada Council on Problem Gambling sponsored the event which was supported by contributions from Boyd Gaming, Harrah’s Entertainment and IGT. The conference was also supported, in part, by the state’s Problem Gambling Prevention and Treatment Fund. The fund, established by the legislature in 2005 provided $2.5 million in grant funding over a two-year period for problem gambling prevention, education, treatment and research in the State of Nevada.

The conference was part of the Nevada Council’s workforce development program and provided 10 hours of continuing education for the growing number of certified problem gambling counselors in the state. Presentations during the two-day event supported the conference theme of “Building Effective Community Solutions to Address Problem Gambling” and included a Community Forum held on the first evening, which was open to the public.

Educating the Community

The Community Forum titled, Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow, was sponsored by IGT and featured presentations by members of the State Advisory Committee on Problem Gambling, who shared their perspectives on the success and challenges of Nevada’s efforts to fund problem gambling programs and services. Glenn Christenson, Committee Chairperson, acknowledged that problem gambling had been the state’s ‘elephant in the living room’ which was largely ignored for many years.

Looking to the future, Carol O’Hare, Executive Director of the Nevada Council, and also a member of the Advisory Committee commented, “The worst disservice we can do for the people of Nevada would not be all the years we did nothing – it would be if we did something for two years and then quit."

Kicking the conference off to an historic start was the appearance of Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons to offer his personal welcome and appreciation for the work being done by problem gambling professionals throughout the state.

“If I stood here and told you 6 percent of the adult population in the State of Nevada had a problem with gambling, you would expect your leadership to take action,” Gibbons said. “We are doing just that.”

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Click the links below for summaries of other Nevada State Conferences:

2008, 2009, 2010