Editorial Standards & Clinical Review Policy
Chicago Addiction Therapy publishes educational content about gambling addiction, alcohol and substance use, recovery, behavioral health, and related topics. Our goal is to provide information that is accurate, practical, clinically informed, and useful to people seeking help, family members, clinicians, journalists, and others trying to better understand addiction and recovery.
Because these subjects can affect health, finances, relationships, and major life decisions, we take accuracy and transparency seriously.
Who Creates Our Content
Clinical and educational content on Chicago Addiction Therapy is written or reviewed by Chris Beerman, MSW, LCSW, CADC, a licensed clinical social worker and certified alcohol and drug counselor whose clinical work focuses on gambling addiction, substance use, and related behavioral-health concerns.
Chris has worked across multiple levels of addiction treatment, including detoxification, residential treatment, and outpatient care. His current private practice includes a substantial focus on gambling-related problems, including sports betting, casino gambling, video gambling terminals, online gambling, trading-related compulsive behavior, financial harm, relapse, and the impact of gambling on families and relationships.
More information about Chris's background and clinical approach is available on our About page.
Our Approach to Clinical Information
Chicago Addiction Therapy aims to distinguish clearly between:
- established research findings,
- clinical guidance,
- regulatory or legal information,
- statistics and public data,
- clinical interpretation, and
- professional opinion.
We do not present a clinical observation as settled scientific fact.
When research is preliminary, limited, mixed, or evolving, we try to describe that uncertainty rather than overstate the evidence.
Likewise, an association between two factors should not automatically be interpreted as evidence that one causes the other.
Our goal is to make complicated information understandable without making it misleadingly simple.
Our Sources
When supporting factual or clinical claims, we prioritize high-quality and primary sources whenever possible.
These may include:
- peer-reviewed research,
- systematic reviews and clinical guidelines,
- government agencies,
- state regulatory agencies,
- original statutes, rules, and regulatory documents,
- academic institutions,
- professional organizations,
- public health agencies,
- original datasets and government reports.
For Illinois gambling-related content, we generally prefer primary Illinois sources when they are available, particularly for information involving regulation, self-exclusion, licensed gambling operators, video gaming terminals, sportsbooks, treatment resources, and changes in state policy.
Secondary reporting may be used when it adds important context, but we generally do not rely on a news article when an authoritative primary source is available.
Statistics and Data
Statistics should be attributed to their original source whenever reasonably possible.
When Chicago Addiction Therapy analyzes publicly available data, we aim to identify the underlying source and distinguish the original data from our own interpretation.
For example, gambling revenue, wagering volume, or the number of gambling locations should not automatically be treated as a direct measure of gambling addiction prevalence. We try to explain what a dataset can — and cannot — reasonably establish.
When calculations, comparisons, or trends are derived from public data, we aim to describe the methodology clearly enough for readers to understand how the conclusion was reached.
Illinois Gambling Information
A significant portion of Chicago Addiction Therapy's educational work focuses on gambling in Illinois.
Information involving Illinois gambling laws, self-exclusion programs, casinos, sportsbooks, video gaming terminals, treatment programs, or regulatory changes can change over time.
Whenever possible, these pages are checked against current information from relevant Illinois agencies and other primary sources.
Readers should still verify time-sensitive regulatory, legal, or procedural information with the responsible agency before making an important decision.
Publication, Review, and Updating
Articles may display one or more of the following dates:
Published — when the article first appeared.
Last reviewed — when the article was reviewed for continued accuracy.
Last updated — when meaningful changes were made to the content.
A review does not necessarily mean that an article required changes.
Pages involving rapidly changing information — such as gambling regulation, self-exclusion, public resources, statistics, or treatment access — may be reviewed more frequently than general educational articles.
We may also update older content when:
- important research becomes available,
- regulations change,
- statistics become outdated,
- resources are added or removed,
- a clearer explanation becomes possible,
- or a factual issue is identified.
Corrections
Accuracy matters more than preserving the original wording of an article.
If we identify a factual error, we aim to correct it as promptly as reasonably possible.
When a correction materially changes the meaning of an article, we may note the change so that readers understand what was revised.
Readers, clinicians, researchers, and organizations are welcome to contact Chicago Addiction Therapy if they believe information on the site is inaccurate, outdated, incomplete, or potentially misleading.
Editorial Independence
Chicago Addiction Therapy does not accept sponsorships, advertising, affiliate commissions, paid referrals, or compensation from sportsbooks, casinos, gambling operators, treatment centers, or other companies in exchange for coverage, recommendations, or referrals.
Editorial and clinical content is produced independently and is not influenced by commercial relationships.
Topics are selected based on their relevance to people affected by gambling, substance use, addiction, recovery, and related behavioral-health concerns. Recommendations are based on professional judgment, available evidence, and the usefulness of the information to readers.
Outside Experts and Reviewers
Some subjects extend beyond the scope of psychotherapy.
When appropriate, Chicago Addiction Therapy may consult or cite professionals in fields such as medicine, psychiatry, law, financial counseling, public policy, or gambling regulation.
When an outside professional formally reviews or contributes to an article, that contribution should be identified rather than implied.
Unless an article specifically states that it received outside professional review, readers should not assume that it did.
Technology and Artificial Intelligence
Technology, including artificial-intelligence-assisted research, organizational, or drafting tools, may be used to support the editorial process.
Use of such tools does not replace professional judgment.
Clinical interpretation, source evaluation, factual verification, revisions, and final publication decisions remain the responsibility of Chicago Addiction Therapy.
Information generated by automated tools should not be treated as authoritative without appropriate review and verification.
Client Privacy and Clinical Examples
Chicago Addiction Therapy takes client confidentiality seriously.
Clinical stories or examples used for educational purposes are not intended to identify current or former clients.
When examples are based on clinical themes, details may be changed, combined, generalized, or presented as composites in order to protect privacy.
Educational examples should not be interpreted as complete clinical histories or as representative of every person experiencing a similar problem.
Educational Information Is Not Individual Treatment
Information published on Chicago Addiction Therapy is educational and is not a substitute for individualized medical, psychiatric, psychological, legal, or financial advice.
Reading this website does not create a therapist-client relationship.
Mental-health and addiction treatment decisions should be based on an individual's circumstances and, when appropriate, an assessment by a qualified professional.
If someone is experiencing an immediate safety or medical emergency, they should contact appropriate emergency services rather than relying on information from this website.
Financial and Legal Information
Gambling problems frequently involve debt, financial access, banking, self-exclusion, employment, family finances, and legal or regulatory issues.
Chicago Addiction Therapy may discuss these subjects because they are often relevant to recovery.
However, such information is educational and should not be interpreted as individualized legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.
Readers should consult an appropriately qualified professional when a decision requires legal or financial guidance specific to their circumstances.
Our Standard
Our goal is not to publish the largest possible volume of addiction content.
Our goal is to publish material that is useful, accurate, appropriately sourced, clinically responsible, and clear about the limits of what is known.
When we cover gambling addiction in particular, we aim to combine evidence-based clinical information with practical knowledge of the gambling environment people actually encounter — including sportsbooks, casinos, online gambling, video gaming terminals, trading platforms, prediction markets, and other emerging forms of gambling-like behavior.
Questions, Corrections, or Source Requests
If you have a question about an article, believe something should be corrected, or would like more information about a source or methodology used by Chicago Addiction Therapy, please email chris@chicagoaddictiontherapy.com.
We welcome good-faith corrections and suggestions that improve the accuracy and usefulness of our educational material.
This policy was published and last reviewed in September 2026.