The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS)
was developed by Henry Lesieur, Ph.D., and Sheila Blume, M.D., as a screen for compulsive gambling.

RESPONSES TO THIS SCREEN ARE FOR YOUR REFERENCE ONLY.
THE INSTITUTE DOES NOT ACCEPT ONLINE EVALUATIONS.

CLICK ON THE POPUP BUTTON AFTER THE PROMPT "Response"
TO RECORD YOUR ANSWERS TO EACH OF THE QUESTIONS.

1. Please indicate which of the following types of gambling you have done in your lifetime. After each type of gambling, answer: "not at all", "less than once a week " or "once a week or more. "

1a. play cards for money

Response: YOUR ANSWER? not at all less than once a week once a week or more

1b. bet on horses, dogs or other animals (at OTB, the track or with a bookie)

Response: YOUR ANSWER? not at all less than once a week once a week or more

1c. bet on sports (parlay cards, with a bookie or at Jai Alai)

Response: YOUR ANSWER? not at all less than once a week once a week or more

1d. play dice games (including craps, over and under or other dice games) for money

Response: YOUR ANSWER? not at all less than once a week once a week or more

1e. gamble in a casino (legal or otherwise)

Response: YOUR ANSWER? not at all less than once a week once a week or more

1f. play the numbers or bet on lotteries

Response: YOUR ANSWER? not at all less than once a week once a week or more

1g. play bingo for money

Response: YOUR ANSWER? not at all less than once a week once a week or more

1h. play the stock, options and/or commodities market

Response: YOUR ANSWER? not at all less than once a week once a week or more

1i. play slot machines, poker machines or other gambling machines

Response: YOUR ANSWER? not at all less than once a week once a week or more

1j. bowl, shoot pool, play golf or play any other game of skill for money

Response: YOUR ANSWER? not at all less than once a week once a week or more

1k. pull tabs or "paper" games other than lotteries

Response: YOUR ANSWER? not at all less than once a week once a week or more

1l. engage in some form of gambling not listed above (please specify)

Response: YOUR ANSWER? not at all less than once a week once a week or more

2. What is the largest amount of money you have ever gambled with on any one day?

a. I've never gambled
b. $1 or less
c. more than $1 but less than $10
d. more than $10 but less than $100
e. more than $100 but less than $1,000
f. more than $1,000 but less than $10,000
g. more than $10,000
Response: YOUR ANSWER? a. I've never gambled b. $1 or less c. more than $1 but less than $10 d. more than $10 but less than $100 e. more than $100 but less than $1,000 f. more than $1,000 but less than $10,000 g. more than $10,000

3. Which of the following people has (or had) a gambling problem?

a. father
b. mother
c. brother or sister
d. spouse or partner
e. child or children
f. grandparent
g. another relative
h. no one in my family has (or had) a gambling problem
Response: YOUR ANSWER? a. father b. mother c. brother or sister d. spouse or partner e. child or children f. grandparent g. another relative h. none

4. When you gamble, how often do you return to win back the money you lost?

a. never
b. some of the time (less than half of the times I lost)
c. most of the times I lost
d. every time I lost
Response: YOUR ANSWER? a. never b. some of the time (less than half of the times I lost) c. most of the times I lost d. every time I lost

5. Have you ever claimed to be winning money while gambling, even though you were actually losing money?

a. never
b. yes, less than half of the times I lost
c. yes, most of the time
Response: YOUR ANSWER? a. never b. yes, less than half of the times I lost c. yes, most of the time

6. Do you feel like you have ever had a problem with betting money or gambling?

a. no
b. yes, in the past, but not now
c. yes
Response: YOUR ANSWER? a. no b. yes, in the past, but not now c. yes

7. Did you ever gamble more than you intended to?

Response: Yes or No? yes no

8. Have people criticized your betting or told you that you had a gambling problem, regardless of whether or not you thought it was true?

Response: Yes or No? yes no

9. Have you ever felt guilty about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble?

Response: Yes or No? yes no

10. Have you ever felt like you would like to stop betting money or gambling but you didn't think you could?

Response: Yes or No? yes no

11. Have you ever hidden betting slips, lottery tickets, gambling money, I.O.U.s or other signs of betting or gambling from your spouse, children or other important people in your life?

Response: Yes or No? yes no

12. Have you ever argued with people you live with over how you handle money?

Response: Yes or No? yes no

13. (If you answered yes to question 12) Have money arguments ever centered on your gambling?

Response: Yes or No? yes no

14. Have you ever borrowed from someone and not paid them back as a result of your gambling?

Response: Yes or No? yes no

15. Have you ever lost time from work (or school) due to betting or gambling?

Response: Yes or No? yes no

16. If you borrowed money to gamble or to pay gambling debts, who/where did you borrow from? (answer "yes" or "no" to each question)

a. from household money?
Response: Yes or No? yes no

b. from your spouse?
Response: Yes or No? yes no

c. from other relatives or in-laws?
Response: Yes or No? yes no

d. from banks, loan companies or credit unions?
Response: Yes or No? yes no

e. from credit cards?
Response: Yes or No? yes no

f. from loan sharks?
Response: Yes or No? yes no

g. you cashed in stocks, bonds or other securities?
Response: Yes or No? yes no

h. you sold personal or family property?
Response: Yes or No? yes no

i. you borrowed on your checking account?
Response: Yes or No? yes no

j. you have (had) a credit line with a bookie?
Response: Yes or No? yes no

k. you have (had) a credit line with a casino?
Response: Yes or No? yes no

If you have answered (a) or no to all of the questions above, you do not have a gambling problem.

If you have answered (b) or (c) to questions 4 through 6 or yes to questions 7 through 16, one to four times, then you have some problem with gambling.

If you have answered (b) or (c) to questions 4 through 6 or yes to questions 7 through 16, five or more times, you show signs of being a probable pathological gambler.

For a thorough, professional assessment for pathological gambling, please call the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery at 1-800-522-3784.

©1992 South Oaks Foundation. Used with permission.

See also, the Twenty Questions of Gamblers Anonymous.

This information is provided as a community education service about professional issues and is not a substitute for individual consultation. Advice on individual problems should be obtained through a professional. All personal and medical information provided to IIAR and its staff is held in strict confidence. This information will not be disclosed to any person or organization without the written consent of the patient or guardian.

To comment on this site or inquire about IIAR programs and services, or to receive additional information on any of the subjects discussed in this Web site, please e-mail our Vice President of Addiction and Behavioral Sciences, Rick Zehr (eric.zehr@proctor.org) or call 1-800-522-3784.

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The Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery has centers at the following three locations:
Proctor Hospital, 5409 N. Knoxville Avenue, Peoria, IL 61614, phone: 1-800-522-3784
BroMenn Regional Medical Center, Virginia at Franklin, Normal, IL 61761, phone: 309-888-0993
IIAR at Springfield, 3050 Montvale Drive, Springfield, IL 62704, phone: 217-726-6611

E-mail comments or requests for additional information to Rick Zehr (eric.zehr@proctor.org)

You may also contact: Randee McGraw, Administrative Director
Pam Hillyard, Manager
Coleen Moore, Coordinator of Resource Development
Patricia Erickson, Nursing Coordinator

©2005 Proctor Hospital