WHEN GAMBLERS GO BANKRUPT in every bankruptcy where gambling played a contributing role. Some use the threat of an opposition to pressure bankrupts into seeking help to address their gambling disorder. Some feel it is inappropriate to oppose based on gambling, because they view such an opposition as tantamount to penalizing an individual for having a medical condition. Trustees in this third group focus on connecting gamblers with resources to help them recover from their gambling disorder. A second key finding from the first phase of our project is that trustees encounter multiple difficulties when administering the bankruptcies of gamblers. They must identify that someone has a gambling problem: some individuals will self-disclose, others will not, and some individuals claim to have lost money gambling, but the trustees suspect that the money was spent on more nefarious pursuits. Once trustees have confirmed that an individual has a gambling problem, they must decide which, if any, interventions may assist the individual. These interventions can be financial in nature, such as when trustees help individuals restrict their access to funds, thereby limiting their ability to gamble. The interventions can be more in the nature of a medical treatment, such as when individuals are referred to counselling or self-help groups, like Gamblers Anonymous. Finally, trustees must decide whether to use their powers under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act to compel individuals to undergo interventions or whether they should refer the individual to help, but leave it up to the individuals to decide what rehabilitative steps are right for them. In the second phase of our project, we sought to provide trustees with guidance with respect to these three difficulties, namely identifying gamblers, selecting interventions, and deciding whether the interventions should be mandatory or voluntary. We reviewed literature from the field of gambling studies and considered how it might apply to the practices of insolvency trustees. When individuals do not self-identify as having a gambling disorder, trustees may rely on the financial indicators of gambling disorder to identify the problem. Financial indicators of a gambling disorder can include having many credit products, borrowing from friends and family, engaging in illicit activities such as cheque kiting, and failing to pay important bills, like rent and utilities. Of course, bankrupts more generally often exhibit these symptoms. Thus, trustees dealing with a bankrupt individual may not be able to recognize individuals with gambling disorder only by assessing their financial situation. These financial indicators should act as red flags that precipitate a further discussion amongst the trustee and the debtor about the underlying causes of the debtor’s financial difficulties. Treating compulsive gamblers is complicated because compulsive gambling is a complex psychiatric disorder. Individuals with gambling disorder have different motives for engaging in gambling. Some gamble because they think it will solve their money problems, some enjoy the thrill they get from gambling, while others use gambling as an escape. Gambling disorder may also materialize in individuals in different ways and to varying degrees. Because of these variances between individuals, any intervention needs to be attentive to the needs of the individual. For example, a financial intervention aimed at reducing an individual’s debt load may assist individuals who are gambling to solve their money problems, but may exacerbate the situation of someone who is gambling for pleasure or as an escape. Therapeutic interventions commonly prescribed in the bankruptcy system include referrals to Gamblers Anonymous, a self-help group based on the twelve-step model of Alcoholics Anonymous, and exclusion orders. When an individual signs an exclusion order, they agree to be barred from a gambling facility and risk negative consequences, such as a trespass charge, if they breach the order. The research on these interventions remains preliminary, but suggests that they can be useful for a segment of compulsive gamblers. Other treatments, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, show promise. Some findings on gambling disorder do not accord with commonly held ideas about effective treatments. Treatment does not necessarily need to be lengthy. Brief interventions, such as completion of an online workbook or a short discussion with a health professional, can be effective. Moreover, for a substantial minority of individuals, no treatment is necessary as they are able to recover on their own; a phenomenon called “natural recovery.” The research on whether mandatory or voluntary treatment is more effective is mixed. Moreover, most of the research has been carried out on individuals with substance use disorders, who are facing criminal charges. It is unclear how the findings from these studies would translate to individuals with a behavioural addiction, like gambling, who are attempting to access a discharge in the bankruptcy system. Given the inconclusive nature of the research on mandatory treatment, and the fundamental importance of consent to treatment in medical care, trustees should be slow to impose mandatory interventions. Despite the complexity of and limited research on gambling disorder, trustees can still play an important role in the recovery of problem gamblers by making thoughtful, research-informed recommendations about financial and medical interventions. If you wish to learn more about our research project, please refer to the two articles that we have published: •  Anna Lund, “Gambling Debt in Personal Insolvency Proceedings: The Approach of Insolvency Trustees and Judicial Officers” (2017) Annual Review of Insolvency Law 2016 515. •  Anna Lund and Arooj Shah, “Bankrupt Gamblers: Research Informed Practice for Insolvency Trustees” (2019) Annual Review of Insolvency Law 2018 (forthcoming). RS When individuals do not self-identify as having a gambling disorder, trustees may rely on the financial indicators of gambling disorder to identify the problem. Volume 19 Issue 1 Rebuilding Success 45