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Experts: Problem Gambling Issue Growing

GROTON, Connecticut – As reported by the Hartford Courant: "The boom in casino gambling, instant lottery tickets and other forms of gambling is causing more people to suffer severe problems, international researchers assembled here for a two-day meeting said Monday.

"'If you live within 10 miles of a casino, you have twice the chance of being a problem gambler than if you don't,' University of Buffalo researcher John Welte said in a presentation at the International Symposium on Problem Gambling and Co-Occurring Disorders meeting.

"The gambling industry has long argued that gambling is a relatively benign form of entertainment, and that the percentage of people who develop a serious problem is small and unchanging.

"In general, most people do gamble without a problem. But the debate over the number who may be vulnerable has intensified, particularly as gambling becomes more commonplace.

"… Welte said Monday his research shows that the poor and less affluent are more susceptible to gambling problems. He said people suffering from alcohol and drug abuse also are much more vulnerable.

"Naomi Greer, a spokeswoman for the American Gaming Association, said there is no evidence that gambling problems afflict more than a small element of the population. For severely afflicted gamblers, this number is about 1 percent of the overall population and is a figure that has not changed, she said…"

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