— Resources
Behind the Bet Video Series
Help Clinicians Better Understand Their Clients
The Behind the Bet Video Series helps clinicians gain a clearer understanding of how popular casino games work. As professionals supporting individuals affected by gambling, having a basic understanding of the games clients encounter can make it easier to ask informed questions, understand their experiences, and engage in meaningful clinical conversations.
In this series, we’ll walk through the basic rules and flow of several games—what players see, what choices they encounter, and how the games work. Our goal is not to teach strategies or how to ‘beat the casino,’ but to offer a practical, straightforward look at the fundamentals.
Understanding these basics can help you feel more confident engaging with clients, asking informed questions, and understanding the language and experiences they bring. No special knowledge of gambling is required—these videos are meant to be simple, accessible, and focused on real-world relevance for clinical practice.
To support reflection and clinical application, a downloadable discussion guide features practical questions clinicians can use during supervision, training, clinical preparation, case conceptualization, or individual learning.
Warning: Images included in These Videos contain gaming/gambling imagery that may serve as a 'trigger" for those in recovery. Viewer discretion is adviSed.
This companion worksheet helps clinicians think critically about:
- Gambling-related cognitive distortions
- Perceived control and decision-making
- Emotional reinforcement and excitement
- Environmental and social risk factors
- Time distortion and loss of awareness
- Harm-reduction considerations
- Assessment and treatment implications
The guide can be used individually or in group discussion settings alongside the video series.
