 Newsletter Signup
Stay informed with the
NEW Casino City Times newsletter! |
Gaming News
Counsellors See Dark Side of Gambling4 November 2002DULUTH, Minnesota – As reported by the Wausau Daily Herald: "…In a state where so many forms of gambling are legal, they can't attribute all of Duluth's problems to the local casino, "but having it downtown certainly makes it convenient for people," said Steve Dentinger, executive director of Lake Superior Area Family Services. "`Even before the casino, we had problems with bars and pull-tabs downtown,' Dentinger said. `Today, we average 50 or 60 clients per month, and we're growing 10 or 15 percent every year.' "…When Family Services opened in 1987, casinos were new in Minnesota. Soon, Family Services began seeing clients hooked on slot machines, Dentinger said. Today, casino addicts make up the bulk of its business. "And while Duluth Police Chief Scott Lyons said casino gambling causes few criminal problems in his city, Dentinger and Family Services counselor Paulette Beck tell a different tale. "`We hear stories of prostitution,' Dentinger said. `You can go out in the casino parking lot and prostitute, then go back inside and gamble the money you made. You hear about drug dealing, not to support a drug habit but to support a gambling habit.' "…About 75 percent have had legal problems, ranging from foreclosure and lawsuits to criminal charges for writing bad checks or stealing from employers. Most are $40,000 to $60,000 in debt…" |