Overcoming Gambling

"Turning the Tables on Gambling"
Hope and Help for an Addictive Behavior
By Dr. Gregory L. Jantz with Ann McMurray

Turning the Tables on Gambling

This book tackles the difficult questions of why individuals are lured to gambling and how to combat this destructive addiction. Drawing from true stories, Jantz reveals the truth about the dangers of gambling and how to understand what the gambler is actually searching for. He identifies ways our culture supports the gambling lifestyle, what the Bible has to say about gambling, healthy ways to view and manage money, and making lifestyle choices that will lead to freedom.

In Turning the Tables on Gambling, you'll explore the answers to questions such as:

  • What is my risk of becoming addicted to gambling?
  • Is playing the lottery or making a casual wager harmless?
  • At what point does gambling become destructive?
  • If gambling is a problem for me or someone I know, what can I do?

Includes Gambling Personality Questionnaire

"Turning the Tables on Gambling"
Table of Contents

Section 1: The Hand That Rolls the Dice
Chapters in Section 1
1.  Just for Thrills
2.  For the Love of Money
3.  Long Way to the Top
4.  Looking for Control
5.  The Comfort Payoff
6.  The Next Generation
Section 1 Follow-Up

Section 2: When Culture Raises the Stakes
Chapters in Section 2
7.  Bright Nights, Dark Days
8.  Just a Little Wager
9.  When One Thing Leads to Another
10. Evangelical Consumerism
11. When the Luck Runs Out
Section 2 Follow-Up

Section 3: Practical Hope and Help
Chapters in Section 3
12. Hope for the Occasional Gambler
13. Hope for the Compulsive Gambler
14. Hope for the Teenage Gambler
15. The Source of Hope
Section 3 Follow-Up

Afterword
Appendix A
Gambling Myths and Biblical Realities: Insights from Solomon
Appendix B How the Church Can Help Someone Who Gambles
Appendix C Gambling Personality Questionnaire
Appendix D Gambling Help Lines
Notes

 

What others are saying about Turning the Tables on Gambling:

"Gregg Jantz has given us a realistic view of the growing menace of gambling. Gambling may be your struggle or it may be the silent struggle of a friend or family member. Giving this book could be an act of hope."
    Harold Ivan Smith, author of When Your People are Grieving

"This book will help you recognize the snare of gambling and head it off at the pass."
         Dr. Lynda Hunter, founding editor of Single-parent Family Magazine, author of Single Moments and Parenting on Your Own

"Dr. Jantz brings a well thought-out, reasoned, even-handed, common-sense approach to an addiction that destroys many families."
    Chuck Snyder, author of  Incompatibility: (Still) Grounds for a Great marriage
 

Listen to Dr. Jantz speak about Turning the Tables on Gambling on For Faith & Family Christian Radio.
  First Segment-13 Minutes

 
  Second Segment-18 Minutes

 

Overcoming gambling Watch Dr. Jantz on "How to Beat the Odds" TV Show regarding gambling. RealVideo
Flash


"Turning the Tables on Gambling" Press Release

Gambling Addictions Continue To Rise
Multi-Billion Dollar Industry Targets Teens; Poor and Senior Citizens

Edmonds, Washington - From young teens to senior citizens, gambling is taking a toll on Americans - and it is not just about money. Gambling is no longer confined to places like Las Vegas or Atlantic City. It is everywhere-the Internet, state lotteries, race tracks, sporting events and slot machine in convenience stores.

The gambling industry has grown tenfold in the past twenty-five years. Internet gambling alone accounts for two billion in annual revenues and this figure doesn’t even account for the countless number of people addicted to day trading. With state run lotteries now operating in 37 states and the District of Columbia, Scores of People - mostly from low income households -are hooked. According to therapist Dr. Gregory Jantz, "one of the strongest voices in our society-government-is using its power to promote gambling as a way to increase revenue."

The author of "Turning the Tables on Gambling" (Shaw/Waterbrook), Jantz believes the so-called harmless purchase of lottery tickets can be a source of potential trouble. The revenue that is generated through the sale of lottery tickets does not add funds to the education budgets of most states. Instead, states simply divert funds to other parts of their budget. But Jantz is particularly concerned about the way the gambling industry is targeting young people. "We now live in a culture encouraging an activity that destroys a percentage of the lives it touches." says Jantz. "Young people experience problems, or at-risk gambling behaviors at twice the rate of adults."

Gambling has become a high profile and socially acceptable activity in the United States. As TV shows like;"Who Wants to be a Millionaire" vie for viewer time; the desire for excitement or to get rich quick can become overwhelming. Conservative estimates show more than 15 million people display some signs of gambling addiction. If current trends continue, this number will continue to rise -destroying marriages, forcing bankruptcies, and jeopardizing employment. Problem gamblers have higher rates of suicide, divorce and criminal activity than non gamblers. And for young people, the increase in lottery play is correlated with increased participation in the use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana.

Dr. Jantz offers specific advice - and encouragement for those caught in the vicious cycle of gambling. He recommends an accountability group, avoidance of tempting environments, giving up control of one’s finances for a season, and recognizing gambling as tantamount to idolatry. Perhaps most important, Jantz uncovers the underlying reasons people in our culture get caught up in gambling-offering a way of escape for young and old alike.


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Turning the Tables on Gambling

 

 

The Center for Counseling & Health Resources, Inc.
www.aplaceofhope.com
P.O. Box 700
Edmonds, WA 98020
1-888-771-5166
annm@aplaceofhope.com