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New Mexico Problem Gambling Study Proposed

NEW MEXICO – As reported by the Albuquerque Journal: "How many gambling addicts are there in New Mexico and how many are seeking help?

"How many have committed suicide or attempted it?

"How many bankruptcies have resulted from gambling debts?

"Right now, no one can answer these questions. But a veteran state lawmaker is taking her third crack at a bill that would fund a study to determine what negative impacts a booming gambling industry is having in New Mexico.

"'Hopefully, the third time will be the charm,' Rep. Kandy Cordova, D-Belen, said of her bill. 'We do need a study. We need it desperately. I'm ready to commit to making that my priority.'

"The last New Mexico gambling-problem study took place nearly a decade ago, when researchers estimated that more than 175,000 people in the state had some kind of gambling problem. At the time of that 1996 University of New Mexico study, the number of those with problems represented about 12 percent of the state's adult population. But legalization of casino-style gambling in New Mexico, and the real explosion of the industry and pastime, was still a year away.

"…Cordova's current bill would require the state Department of Health to define what constitutes a compulsive or problem gambler. The department would then collect data on how many New Mexicans fit that definition and on how many of them are getting help…"

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