RI Gambling Treatment Program

Program Staff

Bob Breen, PhD, Director

Bob Breen, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist. Breen has been working with compulsive gamblers for 13 years. He has published numerous articles on the topic and has presented his research at national and international meetings.

"I am extremely proud of the work we've done with gamblers and their family members through the years," says Breen. "Over the last seven years we've met and worked with over 1000 individuals addicted to gambling. Each success story is extremely gratifying, but at the same time, we have only scratched the surface.

"While the State of Rhode Island receives approximately $250 million per year from video slots alone, we receive $150,000 per year to defray the costs of providing treatment on demand to addicited gamblers and their family members, whether they have health insurance or not. There is no other state-sponsored help available in Rhode Island. While the monetary discrepancy is staggering (for example, the average individual patient entering our program has incurred a financial loss of over $65,000), we are proud of the fact that in seven years, we have never refused treatment to anybody, and we've seen many successful outcomes."

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