As Problem Gambling Awareness Month ends, Lori shares her interview with Ted Hartwell, an Affiliate Representative with the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling. Ted struggled with problem gambling for years, has navigated his recovery and now serves as an advocate for others in his role.

Mr. Hartwell lives in Las Vegas, where he is also a professional cellist with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, a soccer and volleyball coach, devoted husband to a recent Russian immigrant, and the proud father of a precocious daughter and three cats. 

In this episode Lori and Ted discuss:

• Ted’s personal story of problem gambling and how that led him to recovery and advocacy
• The biochemistry of addiction disorder
• What is gambling and how do you know if you have a problem?
• Mind blowing stats about gambling, types of and ‘typical’ types of people
• Cross addiction is common in gambling and substance use
• As any other addiction, gambling affects the family and other relationships
• Oh my gawd… we talk about the Collegiate level gambling (come on now!)
• Resources for help!
• And… internet gaming disorder (you ever heard of the “loot box”?)

RESOURCES:

• https://www.ncpgambling.org/programs-resources/
• https://www.whenthefunstops.org
• IMMEDIATE HELP: call 1-800-522-4700

TED HARTWELL BIO:

Mr. Hartwell is the Principal Investigator of a DRI research study examining the impact of problem gambling in Native American tribal communities in Nevada.  He has presented on this research at several state, regional, national, and international conferences.

As a problem gambler in long-term recovery himself, Mr. Hartwell promotes awareness, prevention, and treatment of problem gambling as a consultant to the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG).  He has spoken publicly and personally on this issue on many occasions and is dedicated to humanizing and illuminating the illness of disordered gambling.  He provides annual lectures for the UNLV Boyd School of Law Gaming Regulation and the University of Utah Gaming Regulation classes, and training for Clark County social workers and other providers on the issue of problem gambling.

Mr. Hartwell has participated for many years in the UNLV International Gaming Institute’s Responsible Gaming Ambassador training program for Las Vegas Sands Corporation, and he has also served as a consultant to MGM Resorts International and the US-Japan Business Council in their efforts to develop business related to the first Integrated Casino Resorts in Japan.

Mr. Hartwell helped introduce the NCPG’s youth gambling awareness and family gambling awareness programs into the Clark County School District (CCSD), and has recently developed NCPG educational programs for local schools on the topics of video gaming disorder and student-athlete gambling awareness.

Mr. Hartwell has served at the pleasure of three Governors on the Nevada State Advisory Committee on Problem Gambling since November 2012.  He was the 2014 Shannon L. Bybee Award recipient for his continuing work on advocacy, outreach, and research on the issue of problem gambling.