WARNI NG SI GNS OF

PROBLEM GAMBLI NG
The following are warning signs
and symptoms that may suggest an
individual has a problem with gambling:
Amount of time spent gambling
Sudden increase in gambling
frequency
Increase in size of bets (sudden and
dramatic)
Creating special occasions for
gambling (canceling other plans)
Intensity of interest in gambling
(constant tension and excitement)
Boasting about winning, evasive
about losing
Exaggerated display of money and
other possessions
Gambling when there is a crisis
Drop off in other activities
Frequent absences from home and
work
Excessive phone use
Withdrawal from family
Personality changes (increased
irritability/hostility)
Diversion of family funds
If youre concerned that you or
someone you know may be a problem
gambler call the Minnesota Problem
Gambling help line at 1-800-333-HOPE.
Awareness
Educati on
Research
Advocacy
NORTHSTAR PROBLEM GAMBLING ALLIANCE
Annual Report
Fi scal Year Jul y 1, 2010 June 30, 2011
THE MISSION CONTINUES
Problem gambling remains a major health concern
in Minnesota. In response, the Northstar Problem Gambling
Alliance continues to be a passionate voice dedicated to
improving the lives of Minnesotans affected by an
addiction that is still poorly understood by the general public.
www. NorthstarProbl emGambl i ng. org
MAJOR CORPORATE SPONSORS
State of Minnesota
Minnesota State Loery
Canterbury Park
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians
Olson
Clear Channel Communications
CBS Outdoor
NPGA SPEAKERS NETWORK CONSULTANTS
Michael Downey, Department of Corrections (ret).
Albert Lea
Kelly Reynolds, prevention specialist (ret). Minneapolis
Dawn Cronin, Lutheran Social Services, Fargo
Lisa Vig, Lutheran Social Services, Fargo
Marcie Carper, gambling treatment provider, Lile Falls
Maxine Boswell, gambling treatment provider,
White Earth Reservation
Trisha Prentice, gambling treatment provider, Redby
Sandi Brustuen, gambling treatment provider,
Granite Falls
Lana Nelson, gambling treatment provider, St. Cloud
Paula Detjen, gambling treatment provider, Northeld
NORTHSTAR PROBLEM GAMBLING ALLIANCE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Julie Berglund, Bremer Bank/Treasurer
Joan Bibelhausen, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers
Maxine Boswell, White Earth Chemical Dependency
Program
Virginia Davis, Minnesota Department of Health
Don Feeney, Minnesota State Loery/Secretary
Dr. Jon Grant, University of Minnesota
Michael Hochman, Canterbury Park
Jerry Jaker, Minnesota Institute of Public Health
Phil Kelly, Retired Exec Director, Project Turnabout
Nita Kordonowy, Hazelden
Mary Magnuson, Jacobson, Bualo, Magnuson, Anderson
& Hogan
John McCarthy, Minnesota Indian Gaming Association
Lana Nelson, Recovery Plus St. Cloud Hospital/
Vice President
Randy Ringaman, Recovering ProblemGambler
John Rundquist, Crossroads Aercare Program
Mike Schiks, Project Turnabout Addiction Recovery
Center/Vanguard/President
Randy Stincheld, Ph.D., University of Minnesota
Medical School
Ly Vang, Association for the Advancement of Hmong
Women in Minnesota
King Wilson, Allied Charities of Minnesota
STAFF
Cathie Perrault, Executive Director
Linda Bisdorf, Executive and ProgramAssistant
Roger Svendsen, Consulting Training Manager
SERVICE PARTNERS
Karen Singer, MN State Loery Oce
Helen Ghebre, Minnesota Dept of Human Services
John Anderson, Minnesota Dept of Human Services
TomBarre, Minnesota Gambling Control Board
John Apitz, Messerli & Kramer, P.A.
Sannerud, Savarese & Associates
Bill Stein Communications
Evans Stark Design
Allegra Printing
Much of the work of the Northstar ProblemGambling
Alliance is funded through a grant fromthe State of
Minnesota and administered through the states Gambling
Control Board.
e Northstar ProblemGambling Alliance is the Minnesota
aliate to the National Council on ProblemGambling.
To learn more about the National Council, go to www.
ncpgambling.org.
Visit our website at www.NorthstarProblemGambling.org
for membership information or to make a contribution to
support our work.
Northstar ProblemGambling Alliance
2233 Hamline Avenue North, Suite 630
Roseville, MN 55113
612-424-8595
info@northstarproblemgambling.org
Thank you to all individuals and organizations that support the work of the Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance.
Fiscal Year 10-11
Accomplishments by
Northstar Problem
Gambling Alliance (NPGA)
25%
Event Fees $3250 2%
Northstar Gross Revenue
SFY 2010-11 at June 30, 2011
State Grant
$225,000
Individuals and
business $16,751

Interest $348
>1%
66%
FY Total $ 280,907
Receivable $ 40,130
Total Earned $ 321,037

In-Kind Donations
$70,688

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE 2010-11
6%
Personnel
$84,183
Office Operations
$30,681

Program
$182,744
MINNESOTA STATE GRANT EXPENSE CATEGORIES
SFY 2010-11 at June 39,2011


62%
28%
10%
Total Expenses Eligible for Grant $297,608

$ 297,608 eligible


$ 225,000 available
$ 72,608 other funds

$8,549
3%
$296,593



NORTHSTAR TOTAL EXPENSES
SFY 2010-11 at June 30, 2011 $305,142
97%
Non Grant
Expenses
Grant Expenses
ACCOMPLI SHMENTS
FI NANCI AL REPORT
Organizational
NPGA Board of Directors develops ve-
year strategic plan.
A quarterly newsleer, Northern Light,
is launched with the goal of becoming
the primary source of current problem
gambling, treatment and recovery
information in Minnesota. Print
distribution expands from500 in early
2010 to over 4500 by scal year end.
NPGA hosts the 8th Annual Minnesota
State Conference on ProblemGambling
for 75 aendees. Keith Whyte, executive
director of the National Council on
ProblemGambling, is one of the featured
speakers.
NPGA provides three scholarships for
Minnesota problemgambling professionals
to aend the National Council on Problem
Gambling annual conference in Boston,
July 2011.
SFY 2010-11 at June 30, 2011
Total Expenses Eligible for Grant $297,608
SFY 2010-11 at June 30, 2011 SFY 2010-11 at June 30, 2011 $305,142
Legislative
Sta members meet with Minnesota
legislators and testify at commiee
hearings to encourage funding for
education and treatment of problem
gambling.
NPGA receives a two-year grant from
the legislature to continue to serve as
the Minnesota aliate to the National
Council on ProblemGambling.
Outreach
NPGA Speakers Network provided
24 training programs for over 675
professionals around Minnesota,
including alcohol and drug counselors,
students in addiction studies, probation
ocers, aorneys and treatment program
teams.
Information booths were staed at
10 professional conferences, reaching
hundreds of professionals such as
psychologists, alcohol and drug
counselors, therapists, social workers,
marriage and family therapists, and
corrections ocers.
NPGA participates in National Problem
Gambling Awareness week (sponsored
by the National Council on Problem
Gambling), providing billboards
throughout the Twin Cities displaying
the Minnesota Helpline for Problem
Gamblers, 800-333-HOPE. e week-
long campaign includes print and
broadcast media stories as well as live
television and radio interviews, reaching
thousands across the state. e campaign
contributed to a 60% increase in calls
to the state problemgambling helpline
during March and April.
Trainers fromNorthstar conducted four
trainings for 75 police ocers on Rule
82, which requires ocers to conduct a
problemgambling assessment for new
probation clients.
Research
NPGA funds research on problem
gambling behaviors in Minnesota high
school students. A second, related project
analyzes the data to explore the same
behaviors in a subset of Native American
students. (Report can be viewed at www.
NorthstarProblemGambling.org.)
Northstar develops a community
survey to establish a baseline measure of
Minnesotans awareness, understanding
and aitude toward the issue of problem
gambling. e 500-participant study (to
be completed in FY 2011-12) will be used
to drive communication messages and
to measure and compare the impact of
education and awareness eorts over time.
Collaboration
NPGA builds collaborative process to
work with the Minnesota Dept of Human
Services ProblemGambling Program, the
Minnesota ProblemGambling Advisory
Council, statewide problemgambling
treatment providers, and the general
addiction recovery community.
Sta members work with treatment
providers and members of the State
Advisory Council on ProblemGambling
to develop and present information
on problemgambling at the annual
MARRCHconference for alcohol and
drug abuse professionals.
Northstar Total Expenses Northstar Gross Revenue Minnesota State Grant Expense Categories
FUTURE DI RECTI ON
During the 2011 legislative session,
Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance
was again approved to be the Minnesota
afliate to the National Council on
Problem Gambling. It received a two-
year grant of $175,000 per year, with
the option to receive an additional
$50,000 per year based on raising that
amount of matching funds.
The Board of Directors of the Northstar
Problem Gambling Alliance completed
work on a new ve-year strategic plan
in October 2010. This plan identied
six key areas of inuence to guide our
efforts.
I. Inuence public opinion to increase
awareness and understanding of
problem gambling.
II. Serve as a linking entity for the
professional treatment community
to encourage and facilitate their
efforts to dene and further
develop a continuum of care for
problem gambling treatment of
gamblers and their families.
III. Work with the State of Minnesota,
members of the Alliance and other
partners to ensure that Minnesota
will have appropriate, well-trained
and credentialed problem gambling
treatment professionals in the years
to come.
IV. Facilitate identication and
organization of recovery support
services for gamblers and families
in the area of nancial management
and legal services.
V. Continue to advocate for strong and
consistent state and federal funding
of prevention, professional training
and treatment of problem gambling.
VI. Provide sound stewardship of NPGA
and its resources through efcient
and scally responsible operations
and high-level professional
programming.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
The struggles and fears of Minnesotans with gambling problems
can be heard acutely in their words:
My husband is a compulsive gambler. I just found out he has
gambled away a signicant part of our savings. What should I do?
I certainly dont want to tell anyone about this.
About ten years ago, I was heavily into a gambling addiction. My
life was quite chaotic in all areas: work stress, family stress,
nancial and spiritual stress. Gambling seemed to be the only
alternative for survival, yet it consumed me to the point that all my
perceived stresses only seemed to magnify themselves further.
Emotionally, gambling had become a chore. I was so scared that
I was going to end up doing this for another 20 or 30 years. I
was scared that I was going to get red or end up in jail. I was on
autopilot, and I couldnt stop. I didnt know how.
I was out of control again, but I didnt want to admit I was a
compulsive gambler.
These are the very real and common fears faced by problem gamblers and the
people close to them. Problem gamblers cant control their gambling and dont
want anyone to know about it, yet they dont know how to get help to stop.
These are the very people the Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance seeks to
help.
Our community outreach, education and training programs are geared to help
Minnesotans understand the following:
problem qamblinq is an addicLion as powerlul as LhaL ol alcohol and oLher
drugs
problem and compulsive qamblinq is noL a moral weakness or lack ol
willpower
you can learn Lo reduce your risk by learninq abouL Lhe condiLion
early inLervenLion and recovery can help prevenL Lhe severe emoLional,
social and nancial problems associated with out-of-control gambling
LreaLmenL lor problem qamblinq is available in MinnesoLa
LreaLmenL works and people do recover
NorLhsLar Problem Camblinq Alliance Annual ReporL Fiscal Year 20020 www.NorLhsLarProblemCamblinq.orq