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‘Nevada can do better’: Advocates say more must be done to address problem gambling

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‘Nevada can do better’: Advocates say more must be done to address problem gambling


At a time when there are diminishing resources for people to get help treating compulsive gambling disorders amid continued growth in the gaming industry statewide, some academics and problem gamblers themselves say the issue has reached the crisis stage.

Alan Feldman, chair of the Advisory Committee on Problem Gambling, said there’s not enough awareness about what problem gambling is and how those affected can find help.

“I think that we have isolated gambling counseling from other substance use disorders,” he said. “That’s not unusual. A lot of states do that, but we here in Nevada can do better. And we need to find a way to better integrate those two communities. In addition to which, the community of licensed gambling counselors is shrinking rather dramatically.”

Feldman said many counselors are “aging out” and the road to being credentialed to help people is rigorous.

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“Because of the way gambling treatment is funded, which is only through state funds, it’s not a business model,” he said. “I know that counselors aren’t doing this to become rich and famous and wealthy, but there still has to be a business model. Right now, the state is only able to reimburse $75 an hour. For most of these counselors, that’s less than their cost per hour to operate a facility. Before you ever started, even with how do you become a counselor? Hundreds of hours of training, supervision, and it’s a very involved process. So we’ve got to take a look at how we’re handling that in the event, and I think some of that came up today.”

Around 35 people gathered Tuesday at downtown’s Historic Fifth Street School to assess how compulsive gamblers can be routed to treatment and how the public can be better educated about the complexities of problem gambling in a state that ranks first in the nation in gambling revenue, but 18th in problem gambling services program allocations.

The roundtable program — the third of three statewide after similar sessions in Reno and Elko — was coordinated by Project Worth-Nevada Leads and sponsored by the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling and the Dr. Robert Hunter International Problem Gambling Center.

Long-term impacts

Because the gambling culture is so prevalent, particularly in Las Vegas, many don’t realize how casual conversations that occur within families can produce long-term impacts on impressionable children.

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“We’re not doing anything to tell them before you start watching a football game at night and having side bets with your 14-year-old, which sounds perfectly innocent and not harmful, realize that you could be setting in motion something that ultimately will be very harmful,” Feldman said.

“So how to have parents frame gambling activity for their kids is also, I think, a very important thing. But yeah, we need to, whether it’s late in elementary or certainly in middle school. In middle school is really the place where a lot of these things begin to happen.”

The topic of how to discuss addictive gambling behavior came up during the discussion led by Jeff Marotta, a senior consultant with Problem Gambling Solutions Inc.

Roundtable participants noted that students learn about alcohol and drug addictions, domestic violence and even sex education from public schools, but nothing is mentioned about addictive gambling behavior.

Feldman explained that it’s important for the conversation to start at the public school level.

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“Before we give them the credit of doing anything, it’s not about a better job, it’s about doing this at all,” he said. “I know that public schools around the country are under enormous pressure to discuss a wide variety of areas for a wide variety of reasons. In Nevada, this should be something that is fundamentally a part of our education system. Again, the idea isn’t to encourage people to gamble, it’s to acknowledge that it’s around us everywhere we look.”

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.

If you or a loved one is struggling with problem gambling or gambling addiction, help is available by calling 1-800-GAMBLER. The National Problem Gambling Helpline offers call, text and chat services 24/7/365. If you or a loved one is in crisis, please call 911 or 988.



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Nevada

28-year-old inmate at Southern Nevada prison dies

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28-year-old inmate at Southern Nevada prison dies


A man serving time at the Southern Desert Correctional Center for felony reckless driving died last month, the Nevada Department of Corrections said Tuesday.

Shiloh Walker, 28, died at the Indian Springs facility on Nov. 24, a news release said. Cause of death was not listed.

Walker was serving a sentence of up to six years after a plea agreement was reached in 2022 following a DUI crash that happened May 31, 2021 in Las Vegas, according to online court records.

An autopsy was requested following Walker’s death, though results were not available as of Monday evening. Attempts to reach Walker’s family members have been unsuccessful, according to the department.

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Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.



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Is USPS breaking vow not to use Sacramento for Northern Nevada mail?

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Is USPS breaking vow not to use Sacramento for Northern Nevada mail?


After widespread condemnation last year, the U.S. Postal Service backed away from plans to move its Reno mail-processing operations to Sacramento — but did it stay true to what it told the public?

The question arose recently after letters sent from one Carson City address to another in Carson City were both postmarked in Sacramento.

Northern Nevadans did not want first class mail sent from one Northern Nevada address to another going first to California. They sent a unified message to the USPS all the way up to the postmaster general.

Critics of the USPS plan were especially worried about delays from mail having to go back and forth over the Sierra during winter.

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The Washoe County District Attorney’s office filed a lawsuit over the plan, the Washoe County Commission voted to oppose the plan, public comment was universally opposed, and Democratic and Republican elected officials from across the state joined to stop it.

Could it possibly have happened anyway? The answer is yes, temporarily, for a brief time.

How letters sent in Carson City came to be processed at Sacramento USPS facility

A reader told the Reno Gazette Journal they’d twice had letters internal to Carson City postmarked in Sacramento, so we asked USPS if the policy had changed.

“Mail processing for First Class mail that originates in Northern Nevada and is destined to Northern Nevada has not changed,” USPS spokesperson Sherry Patterson responded by email.

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“However,” she added, “without the specific mail piece and class of mail, we cannot determined if there is an issue.”

The reader then supplied a photo of the two envelopes postmarked Nov. 5 in Sacramento, and this was shared with USPS.

“Our processing machine in Reno was temporarily out of service while we awaited a replacement part,” Patterson said after viewing the postmarks to nail down the specific date the letters went through Sacramento.

“To ensure that mail was not delayed during this time, we implemented a contingency plan that involved routing certain mail to our Sacramento facility for cancellation and processing. This measure allows us to maintain service continuity and minimize disruptions for our customers. We understand that this may cause some confusion, and we are committed to ensuring that all mail is processed efficiently and accurately.”

Bottom line: Regarding first class mail that’s being sent to and from Northern Nevada addresses, it’s still USPS policy to process that in Reno at its Vassar Street facility, she said.

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The path these particular letters took, Patterson added, “is indeed an unusual occurrence.”

Mark Robison is the state politics reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal, with occasional forays into other topics. Email comments to mrobison@rgj.com or comment on Mark’s Greater Reno Facebook page.



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Holiday loneliness affects thousands in Nevada as many face Christmas away from loved ones

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Holiday loneliness affects thousands in Nevada as many face Christmas away from loved ones


LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Loneliness has become a significant health issue for people everywhere, and the holiday season sometimes intensifies those feelings. For many, December looks like family gatherings, matching pajamas and bustling homes. But this time of year can also be very difficult for those who may be battling distance, work commitments or recent life changes.

Marc Valli, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam, has lived in Las Vegas since 1988. He moved to Nevada to join a ministry and be closer to his wife’s parents.

WATCH| Shellye Leggett talks to an army vet who’s recently moved into Escalante at the Lakes assisted living facility

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Holiday loneliness affects thousands in Nevada as many face Christmas away from loved ones

“I wanted to come and join ministry here. Also my wife’s parents lived here,” Valli said.

Valli’s wife Barbara, known to friends and family as Bobby, passed away in 2018 after 54 years of marriage.

“I’m still counting the years. We’ve been married 54 years,” he said.

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His children moved him into Escalante at the Lakes assisted living facility in June, making this his first holiday season in his new home.

“People are very nice, they treat you good,” Valli said.

Come Christmas Day, the facility’s common room will be filled with residents ready for holiday activities, but Valli hopes to get outside these walls to see his family that still lives nearby.

“I have grandkids. One goes to Cal Poly. He’s here right now, but he’s on vacation, and then I have two little granddaughters, one’s 11, one’s 7,” Valli said. “I don’t know if they’re gonna come for Christmas or I’m going there.”

Gus Farias, the executive director of Escalante at the Lakes Assisted Living, says many of his residents don’t have family nearby. Keeping their spirits high throughout the holidays is an important task.

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“We can tell when our residents are feeling down. There’s a lot of pressure during the holidays because some of our residents don’t have families that are nearby, but they have us,” Farias said.

The organisation A Mission for Michael released a study showing just how many people are expected to spend the holidays alone this year. Nevada ranked 43rd on the list of loneliest states, with more than 212,000 people expected to spend Christmas by themselves.

“It’s pretty surprising that there’s so many Nevadans that are gonna spend the holidays by themselves,” Farias said.

He says combating loneliness will take a community effort.

“When you’re at the grocery store or whatever, reach, look back and ask them, you know, wish them a merry Christmas or happy holidays and ask them how they passed their holidays in the past because we, we as a younger generation than our seniors, we can learn a lot from that,” Farias said.

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It’s an effort that Valli says makes the holidays a little brighter.

“Oh, it makes a big difference,” he said.





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