Almost a quarter of distressed debtors coming to Credit Counselling Singapore (CCS) cited gambling as a cause of their indebtedness ("Gamblers lose motivation if wait for help is too long" by Mr Billy Lee Han Tiong; Monday).
Most come to us for assistance only when their debts have grown to unsustainable levels.
By then, their savings and unsecured credit lines, as well as loans from friends, relatives, moneylenders and even loan sharks, would have been exhausted. And they face constant harassment and demand from debt collectors and lawyers.
Their most immediate priority is to have a debt solution, and CCS has successfully restructured the debts of many problem gamblers, including even a few huge debts, with the largest at $1.8 million.
So there is always hope, and the earlier the individual seeks assistance, the easier it is to find a solution.
Our debt advisers encourage these debtors to go for addiction counselling, but most individuals do not see the need for such treatment as they think their problems have been solved through debt restructuring.
Although they would be barred from further borrowing from financial institutions, they can still turn to moneylenders or other non- institutional sources for credit.
What can be done to encourage problem gamblers to seek treatment?
It would be useful to see the National Addictions Management Service's data on the sustainability of treatment as well as success rates for problem gamblers. The number of people seen is meaningless if there is no continuity or sustainability.
There should be a national programme involving the various stakeholders acting in concert.
Banks have been uninvolved but they can play a vital role in encouraging indebted problem gamblers to come forward early to treat their pathological addiction.
There can be a special loan restructuring programme for problem gamblers that will be granted only if the debtor undergoes a specified number of counselling sessions at an accredited problem gambling centre.
This way, we not only provide a financial solution but also hopefully start the problem gambler on his way to gambling addiction recovery.
Such a programme could be spearheaded by the National Council on Problem Gambling and given prominence, with the participation of The Association of Banks in Singapore, various ministries and other social service organisations.
Kuo How Nam
President
Credit Counselling Singapore
This article was first published on January 8, 2015.
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