Fil-Am Nevada judge hopes PH adopts gambling treatment courts

Bev Llorente | TFC News Las Vegas, Nevada

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ai-aW5Y7ui0?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>A year after the Las Vegas Strip was shut down by the Covid-19 pandemic, the glitzy lights of casinos have roared back to life with record breaking earnings.</p><p>In July alone, they grossed $1.36 billion, as tourists from around the world flocked to the gambling capital of the world. But for many who play games of chance, gambling can turn into a problematic addiction.</p><p>The National Council on Problem Gambling says that 15 percent of Americans gamble at least once per week, with Nevada having the highest prevalence of problem gambling in the country.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Retired Fil-Am judge Cheryl Moss" src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/tfc/10/25/20211025_judge-moss.jpg"/><figcaption>Retired Fil-Am judge Cheryl Moss says whether it&#x27;s in the Philippines or the US, gambling addiction is a public concern.</figcaption></figure></div><p>Retired family court Fil-Am judge Cheryl Moss established and presided in the first Gambling Treatment Diversion Court in Nevada. It&#x27;s a specialty court that offers a second chance for offenders whose charges stem from gambling.</p><p>&quot;There&#x27;s a huge explosion of gaming and with that, we need to make sure that there is proper prevention advocacy and education about responsible gambling,&quot; Moss argued. &quot;But if there are those that are truly afflicted and they end up in court, then that&#x27;s where I come in and educate on how the state can get gambling courts or some type of treatment diversion program in their states. It would save the state&#x27;s money. Instead of housing them in prison, where they&#x27;re not gonna get any treatment, it would also rehabilitate them to become productive citizens again.&quot;</p><p>Moss believes rehabilitation, not incarceration, is the solution to gambling problems. She also noted gambling is &quot;an addiction that is associated with stigma and shame. A lot of them don&#x27;t want to admit that they have a problem. They don&#x27;t know they have a problem. But they already spent all of their savings and they&#x27;re gonna end up homeless. Where are they gonna go? Or some of them are being chased by their bookies so their lives could be threatened.&quot;</p><p>Moss wants to bring gambling treatment courts to the Philippines. She stressed whether it&#x27;s in the Philippines or in the United States, gambling addiction is a public concern.</p><p>&quot;We are not anti-gaming. We are for responsible gambling,&quot; Moss clarified. &quot;We are also for prevention and education because it&#x27;s an entertainment industry but there&#x27;s that 1 to 2 percent that could get hooked on gambling... Gambling does not discriminate. It could be a casino worker, lawyer, nurse, [or] construction worker.&quot;</p><p>Moss hopes that whoever will be elected Philippine president in the 2022 polls will consider this type of gambling treatment in the country. &quot;They need to address the problem before it gets worse because what they do, if you are a gambling addict, you might turn to crime. Crime rates are gonna go up. Because you are gonna steal money to fuel gambling addiction. So it&#x27;s not about the money in the mind of the gambler, it&#x27;s the need for action.&quot;</p><p>New York was the first US state that set up a gambling treatment court. Moss says New Jersey is on its way to becoming the third.</p>

Retired Fil-Am judge Cheryl Moss believes rehabilitation, not incarceration, is the solution to gambling problems.

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Fil-Am Nevada judge hopes PH adopts gambling treatment courts

Fil-Am Nevada judge hopes PH adopts gambling treatment courts

Bev Llorente | TFC News Las Vegas,

Nevada

Published Oct 25, 2021 06:20 PM PHT

|

Updated Oct 26, 2021 04:45 PM PHT

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Las Vegas

Nevada

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gambling treatment courts

Retired Judge Cheryl Moss

TFC News

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