Saratoga gaming seen multiplying problem gamblers

At the Center for Problem Gambling in Albany, Rebecca Martell is waiting for the phone to ring.

Due to the installation of video lottery terminals at the Saratoga harness track, the Center expects a 50-percent increase in the number of people coming to them in the next three to six months for help with overcoming a gambling habit or addiction, a statistic "consistent with what we've seen in other states," she said.

Nevertheless, the future looks bright for video lottery terminals (VLTs) in New York State. Thanks to a warm first-day reception by 5,000 eager gamers -- and the $2.5 million in bets they logged in the first days of operation -- the State hopes to open eight similar VLT parlors across the state to raise revenue for education and other budgetary concerns.

Worries

Not everyone is thrilled.

"My concern is that the people who end up supporting the Racino [as the Saratoga site is known] are the very people who can't afford to support it. It's so convenient, so easy, and I don't know how the people who have a problem might be protected," said Rev. Martin Fisher, pastor of Corpus Christi Church in Round Lake.

The New York State Catholic Conference is less than ecstatic at the opening as well. Although the Church is not "prohibitionist" about gambling and casinos, the Conference "does not encourage any expansion of gambling in the State because of the high cost in comes with," according to Dennis Poust, the Conference's director of communications. "It's the wrong way to raise money for the state. We believe the costs outweigh any possible benefits."

Costs

When casinos and related gambling opportunities come into an area, statistics record a marked increase in crimes like rape, robbery, car theft and murder, as well as a "disproportionate negative impact on the poor," according to Mr. Poust.

The results, he says, can be disastrous for people who seize "the promise of a quick fix, the false hope of economic salvation" that gambling proposes -- without taking into account the risks of the activity.

According to Mr. Poust, five to eight percent of social gamblers become compulsive, and 15-20 percent gamble outside of their means.

Danger ahead

At the Center for Compulsive Gambling, Mrs. Martell and other counselors help gaming addicts put their lives -- and their finances -- back together.

Most compulsive gamblers start off gaming socially, said Mrs. Martell. Addiction kicks in when a particular gaming opportunity, such as the lottery, horse racing, slot machines, blackjack, or a sports pool, "clicks with them," she explained.

"They cross the line when they start betting more than they intend to," she said, "using their household money, lying about betting activities, or when they're starting to be preoccupied with it -- those are the warning signs."

Since financial problems can be easily hid until it's too late, and money -- which is not always noticeable -- is the crucial issue, it's not easy to tell just by looking at a person that they have a gambling problem, said Mrs. Martell.

But by the time a compulsive gambler comes to the Center, it's not uncommon for them to be up to $70,000 in debt, she noted. Gamblers have that huge financial hurdle to be dealt with, as well as eroded relationships, suicidal thoughts and depression. It can take more than ten years to overcome addictions and make financial restitution, she said.

Problem gambling

At the Saratoga racino, Mrs. Martell and Mr. Poust have seen an opportunity for a new, safe recreational outlet -- but, also, potential for abuse.

"I think we saw the danger on the very first day the casino opened," said Mr. Poust. "People were standing at the doorway, hands on the door, to be the first ones in. The [machines] are really just high-tech slot machines: lights, noises, the potential to make a killing with just a couple of coins. We've already seen in Saratoga the potential for shattered lives through the state's ill-advised attempt to raise revenue."

Mrs. Martell is concerned that no gambling-treatment program exists in Saratoga Springs. Currently, hers is the only state-funded program located within the bounds of the Albany Diocese, and people from the North Country and as far west as Utica often need to drive two or more hours to receive treatment.

"We're concerned about relying on gambling in New York State to balance the budget, but not looking at the impact it is going to have on our community members," she said. "While we remain neutral on the expansion, what we are saying is that if we are going to put these VLTs in, we need to take care of those who develop a problem as a result of it. Right now, services are scant throughout New York State."

(Some signs of a gambling addiction include spending retirement, rent, or household funds on gaming; shirking or neglecting responsibilities in favor of gambling; gambling to pay off debts; borrowing money and not paying it back; straining a college or savings account; and mood swings based on winnings or losses. "Is Gambling a Problem in Your Family?" will be presented Feb. 26, 6:45-9 p.m., at the Dominican Retreat and Conference Center, Niskayuna. Cost, $15. Call 393-4169 or e-mail [email protected].)

Pastor: 'We're in same trap as state'

Rev. Joseph Tizio, pastor of St. Clement's parish in Saratoga Springs, has been dealing with a gambling question of his own.

Some school programs are funded through proceeds brought in by Bingo. Without that, St. Clement's would lose a "substantial amount" of income that is allocated to directly assist schoolchildren, he said.

"In a sense, we're in the same trap as the state," which has established the VLTs in part to raise revenue, said Father Tizio. "We, too, are dependent on gambling. At a very minor scale, it's still gambling, and morally, we have to be very careful not be hypocritical."

During a pastorate in East Harlem, Father Tizio said that he saw firsthand "what gambling can do:" a friend's son was shot and killed after falling into "gambling, loan sharks, money, hitting bottom and having nowhere to turn, and -- the cycle. I've seen people who are already in poverty struggling with gambling and drugs, and watching families get devastated. I've seen it happen. Gambling tends to hit the people who have the least amount of money." (KD)

(2/19/04) [[In-content Ad]]