They’re coming.  Up to 61,000 slot machines at 14 venues in Pennsylvania. We could end up with more slots than any state except Nevada. They are supposed to help increase state revenue by parting some people from their money voluntarily, instead of increasing taxes for everybody. People will spend a “night (or day) on the town” have a little fun, lose a little money and all Pennsylvanians will be better off. Well… maybe not all.

It turns out that about 94 percent of Americans can gamble with few or no negative consequences (according to the American Journal of Public Health).  For them, gambling is a controlled, recreational activity.  They go to the racetrack, the casino, play the lottery but make a reasonable plan or “budget” for losing.  If they win, that’s great, but if they lose—even the whole amount they budgeted—that’s OK too.  It becomes a pay out for entertainment, like going to a baseball game or a concert.  They can walk away when they’ve reached their limit because they understand and accept the fundamental fact about gambling—practically everybody loses a lot more money than they win.  If this weren’t true, there wouldn’t be any racetracks, slot machines, casinos or the Pennsylvania lottery.

Unfortunately, for the remaining 6 percent of the population, gambling can be—and is—a problem.  Americans rack up $51 billion in gambling losses each year, and some researchers estimate that problem gamblers are responsible for half of those losses.  That means that 6 percent of the people pay for 50 percent of the losses.  Bad as the financial losses are for problem gamblers, the human losses are incalculable.  Lost relationships with husbands, wives and children, lost jobs, lost self-esteem, depression, physical problems, high suicide rates--these are some of the real “winnings” of problem gamblers.

The behavior of problem gamblers looks familiar to anyone who has experienced drug or alcohol addiction, either personally or with a loved one. 

Certainly the problem gambler has a need to hide behaviors, especially as his/her life becomes more and more unmanageable.  But there are warning signs that begin to emerge.  They include:

• Gambling more frequently
• Gambling increased amounts of money
• Neglecting other responsibilities—family, job, etc.—because of the need to gamble
• Preoccupation with obtaining money to gamble
• Borrowing money, pushing credit cards to their limit, draining savings accounts to get money to gamble
• Lying to others about the extent of involvement with gambling
• Experiencing intense pleasure, getting “high,” when gambling
• Engaging in illegal behavior to finance gambling
• Using gambling as a way to escape from life problems

It is also important to understand that, like alcohol or drug dependency, problem gambling affects all ages, genders and socio-economic groups.  It is especially a cause for concern that more and more adolescents are becoming involved in gambling activities.  The National Research Council estimates that more than 1 million young Americans between the ages of 12 and 18 have exhibited the symptoms of pathological gambling over the past year.  And these young people are at great risk to develop a lifetime of problems related to gambling.  Women and the elderly are much more vulnerable to develop problems when slot machines become readily available in the community.  This form of “escape” gambling can have an almost hypnotic effect as the mesmerizing slots transport the gambler away from the mundane concerns of everyday life.

Because problem gambling and chemical dependency have so much in common, it comes as no surprise that some people experience both. The National Gambling Impact Study estimates that over 25 percent of problem gamblers are substance abusers and people admitted to alcohol and drug treatment programs are three to six times more likely than the general population to be problem gamblers.  So it is important for anybody in recovery from alcoholism or drug addiction to be extremely cautious about gambling at all.  And since every state that has increased the number of opportunities to gamble has also experienced a rise in the number of problem gamblers, we can expect that to happen in Pennsylvania, too.  For that reason, the state has designated a fund to provide treatment for gambling problems as part of the slots legislation.  While the amount of money available is not enormous, it is significant that the state wants to create an encouragement for problem gamblers to seek treatment. 

There are resources in place for problem gamblers and their loved ones who want help.  There is a website maintained by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania, Inc. at www.pacouncil.com.    Among other things, it gives a listing of Gamblers Anonymous meetings across the state.  They operate a helpline as well-1-800-GAMBLER.  Gamblers Anonymous also has a number- 1-800-266-1908. 

One thing is a sure bet.  There will soon be a casino near you with lots of slots ready to take your money.  So it’s time to get ready, personally and as a community.  Personally, we need to make responsible decisions about gambling.  And as a community, we need to make it possible for those who develop gambling problems to get the help they need to restore their lives.

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