Problem gambling calls at record high

BROWN COUNTY - The bright lights of casinos may appear even brighter to some gamblers during tough economic times.

"Certainly if you have someone with a gambling problem and maybe they've lost their job or they're just financially in a hard place, they see gambling as a way to get rich or supplement their income," said Rose Gruber with the Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling.

Gruber and other members of the council saw a 40-percent increase in calls last year, the largest jump in the help-line's 12 years.

"We had a record-setting year of 12,946 calls," said Gruber.

While the recession may be contributing to the increased call load, Oneida Casino's General Manager says the gaming industry is down in general.

"Las Vegas is really down dramatically," said Neil Cornelius. "We're pretty fortunate that we're pretty flat. So we're in pretty good shape. We've seen the impact, we're feeling the impact but not nearly as bad as many others."

Cornelius says they have worked closely with the Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling as another effort to promote responsible betting in their casino.

"People should never bet more than they can afford to loose," Cornelius said.

Gruber says she has also seen increased gambling problems among teens that are not old enough to go to the casino. She says it may be due to a similar increase in televised gambling, like poker tournaments.

"With kids it just feeds the excitement of it. The challenge of it. They're very susceptible to that,” said Gruber.

If you think you or someone you know has a gambling problem call the Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling , 24-hours a day. Their number is 1-800-GAMBLE-5 (1-800-426-2535).