NORTON SHORES, Mich. — What would you do if you won the lottery? It's a fantasy almost everyone has had at some point in time, but the odds are slim. Like, really slim. Syracuse University reports you're about 300 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to hear your numbers called.
The Lakeshore Regional Entity does a great deal of work with gambling prevention, and they're hoping the hype of the Mega Millions drawing might lead to productive conversation about gambling addiction.
"People have a higher rate of suicide and suicide attempts, when they also have a gambling addiction," said Amy Embury, who serves as the substance use prevention manager for the entity.
The group has a website designed to be a one-stop-shop for people in West Michigan who may be struggling with gambling. It's called "Stay Outta The Danger Zone," and it includes tips for responsible gambling, resources for people who are struggling, and the warning signs that you might have a gambling issue.
"Is that all I can think about is when I get to gamble or purchase tickets next? Do you have limits, and you can't stay to your limits? Are you spending outside of your financial options that you have? Is there that great preoccupation thinking about the next time you're going to be able to gamble? So many of the warning signs are similar to someone who may have a substance use addiction," Embury said.
Leaders from the entity have noticed some promising signs that more people who are facing a variety of issues have been willing to take steps to face those issues and have conversations about what they're going through.
"We've seen since COVID there's a lot of changes in people's needs and what they're struggling with, so we just really want to normalize that reaching out and getting support," Embury said.
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