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Tomorrow I meet with a reporter from the other local newspaper to discuss my compulsive gambling addiction and pending sentencing hearing. This particular reporter has been covering my case since the inception and has been at many of the hearings. I have not yet spoken to this reporter so tomorrow should be very interesting to hear the questions she may have. She is also interviewing the owner of the Alcohol, Drug and Compulsive Gambling Treatment Center I have been volunteering time for the past few months as to how they treat compulsive gamblers. I know the story the reporter wants is mine and this does not make me very proud but hopefully by getting my story out there it will help others recognize what an unchecked gambling addiction can do.

I received the offer letter from my (hopefully) next employer that will be given to the judge. It was an excellent letter and touched on all points of recovery and second chances. It was a truly remarkable letter because it went beyond any offer letter I have ever received. It spoke of addiction and how people who truly want to recover are able to recover and flourish in their recovery. It spoke of my character and how open and honest I was in explaining my situation. The more I learn about the Las Vegas Recovery Center (my future employer) the more impressed I become.

Also; one of the key components of my pending employment would be a recovery contract. As a condition of employment I would be required to sign a recovery contract. In the recovery contract are conditions that must be adhered to or I would be terminated. The conditions are attending a specified number of Gamblers Anonymous Meetings per week, having a sponsor, working the 12-Steps and spot interviews with certified psychiatrist in the field of compulsive gambling.

On my first interview I was told about this recovery contract and was all for it. I have no problem meeting all of these stipulations; in fact; I thought it was an excellent idea. The key to my recovery is all of those things and as long as I continue doing what I have been doing for the past 13 1/2 months I will continue to have a successful and positive life. I am not offended in anyway by these conditions because I am fully committed to my recovery and I MUST have all of these things in my life for it to continue to get better.

I have no idea if I will be able to work for this excellent facility but I do know my Higher Power does have a plan and I can see it starting to take shape. I am so excited by this plan and I know no matter what happens on Friday my life is already so much better than it ever has been and will continue to get better as each day passes by.

I would like to close with two excellent articles on compulsive gambling. The first one comes from my state of California and explains very well the pitfalls of gambling. One of the positive things that have arisen from my situation is the people I have come in contact with over this past year and one of those people Bruce Roberts who I would consider a friend is quoted in this article.

The second article comes from upstate New York and quotes the only Gambling Court in America which I have written about before and it also appeared in the Al Roker Investigate Series; Kids, Cards and Dice. One editorial comment; as gambling continues to grow it is INEVITABLE there will be more compulsive gamblers; so I believe society should have programs available to treat compulsive gamblers and also there should be an awareness/educational component in all jurisdictions where gambling is available.

Here are the articles;

In gambling boom, addicts left to chance

Treatment services struggle to keep up with the demand.

RENO - It's easy to lose money here.

Blinking casinos beckon along Virginia Street. Flashing lights of card rooms call from almost every corner. You can't go to a gas station or grocery store without facing slot machines or news of the latest lottery jackpot.

And for those who've seemingly lost it all, pawnshops, payday lenders and loan sharks offer a chance to lose even more.

Reno is a big gambling city in the nation's biggest gambling state. While that brings joy to the local economy - casino owners, in particular - it also brings the kind of misery on display at the Reno Problem Gambling Center.

From a quaint one-story house just blocks from the neon charge of Virginia Street, the nonprofit center began advertising its services in March. It offers six-week treatment programs - one-on-one sessions and group meetings - for gambling addicts. There's a $5 fee, but even that can be waived for those who can't afford it.

Denise Quirk, the center's assistant clinical director, isn't a betting person, but in the beginning she wagered she'd be tending to just a few clients who stumbled off the gambling strip. She lost.

Within two weeks the program was full, drawing problem gamblers from as far as Roseville.

Now the center has a waiting list. The state of Nevada is freeing up extra money to help meet the unanticipated demand.

"These people are all so relieved to ... know there's help," said Quirk, a veteran Reno counselor who helped open the Problem Gambling Center. "Gambling has been legal in this state since the 1930s and only now are we beginning to deal with it."

Legalized gambling is booming across the country, fueled by the proliferation of Indian casinos, the soaring popularity of card games like Texas Hold 'Em, the rise of online gambling and an increasing reliance on lotteries to help fund public services such as education.

But programs to help those who take it too far, estimated at about 2 percent of the U.S. population, haven't kept pace, according to experts on problem gambling.

"It's shameful," said Bruce Roberts, executive director of the nonprofit California Council on Problem Gambling. He said compulsive gambling can be as destructive as alcoholism and drug abuse, resulting in bankruptcies, broken homes, depression and occasionally suicide.

Amid the gambling spree, government officials are helping tackle the addiction problem.

Nevada is directing a fee from each of the state's slot machines this year - a total of $200,000 - to help pay for the gambling center in Reno and its older cousin in Las Vegas. The state shifted an additional $115,000 to the treatment center in March.

Roberts said that California, despite the growth of Indian casinos, has lagged in its support of problem gamblers.

Last year the Legislature asked to set aside $50 million in Indian gaming proceeds to deal with the side effects of gambling: traffic congestion, increased stress on law enforcement and addiction.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger originally approved $30 million, saying he didn't have enough information about how the money would be spent. In March, after facing pressure from tribal leaders and local and state lawmakers, Schwarzenegger restored the other $20 million, which is now being spread among counties with casinos.

About $3 million from that fund has gone to the Office of Problem Gambling, a state agency established in 1997 but not funded until 2003. The office is working on a study of the extent of problem gambling, due for release this summer. It also has developed brochures and literature on recognizing symptoms of problem gambling and getting help.

"We've done a lot in a relatively short period of time," said Lisa Fisher, spokeswoman for the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, which oversees the gambling office.

Fisher said the office's study will give counselors the raw data needed to develop effective treatment programs.

"We're following the legislation and we're doing what is required," she added.

But Roberts said he believes the state should be doing much more to combat problem gambling.

"If the state's going to profit from gambling revenue, certainly they should be taking care of those who are getting hurt by it," said Roberts.

Many problem gamblers seek help through Gamblers Anonymous - a self-help group similar to Alcoholics Anonymous - that has been holding meetings throughout the country for nearly 50 years. Attendance is up.

"We're having new meetings across the state," said a Sacramento man who has attended Gamblers Anonymous meetings for more than 20 years. The man, now in his 70s, said he started attending in hopes of improving his relationships with his daughters, which had frayed because of a compulsion to bet on racehorses.

"There was a time when I was sad there were only nine races to bet on," said the man, stressing that the use of his name would betray the group's commitment to anonymity. "I felt I had to mend some fences."

Meanwhile, Indian casinos say they are doing their part. Besides contributing to the state fund, some casinos pass out free literature and post hotline numbers. Others train staff to spot those who might be at risk.

Some problem gamblers, in moments of clarity, ask to be placed on a list that bars them from returning to a casino.

"Historically, Indians have suffered from addiction problems themselves, said Susan Jensen, a spokeswoman for the California Nations Indian Gaming Association. "They understand the problem, they understand it can ruin lives."

In a cramped office in Reno, a group of about 18 problem gamblers spent an hour Tuesday evening describing the destruction their problem can bring. Many were referred to the meeting at West Hills Hospital by the Reno Problem Gambling Center.

The meeting drew addicts from all backgrounds. They ranged in age from mid-30s to mid-70s; they were male and female, white and Asian. Most said gambling started out as a fun way to pass time and socialize, but it slowly grew out of control.

They told stories about spending so much time gambling they'd forget to feed the cat or go to a daughter's softball game. Two people described "blacking out" while gambling and leaving the casino with no idea how much they had lost.

"I gambled because I didn't think it hurt anybody," said one woman, a former slot machine player whose deep facial lines make her look older than her 54 years. "Then, after coming here, I realized, 'Hey, I'm somebody. Gambling is hurting me.' "

The woman, who used to spend as many as 14 hours a day in casinos, said her life has turned around since she sought help in January. She spends more time with her daughters, and her relationship with her husband has improved. She has more money to spend on things she really needs, like groceries and clothes.

"It's one day at a time," said the woman, as she waited for a ride after the meeting. "But the days are starting to add up."


Hidden costs of gambling

From addiction to big-money embezzlement, authorities express concerns over increase in casino-related problems

Carl Bucki sees the impact of casino gambling in the record number of cases that cross his bench as federal Bankruptcy Court judge.

Frank Clark sees it in the big-money embezzlement cases his county prosecutors take to trial.
And Renee Wert sees it in her addiction counseling caseload that has more than doubled since casinos first arrived on the local scene.

The Seneca Niagara Casino's economic impact is not just jobs, taxes and development. It also includes crime, bankruptcy and job loss.

These are the hidden costs of gambling.

"He doesn't see half of it," Wert said of Clark. "People are stealing from their families, and it's going unreported. They're taking money from their kids' college funds. I've seen cases of parents breaking into their kids' piggy banks so they can gamble."

Wert, as head of gambling treatment services at Jewish Family Service, is on the front lines. Her caseload jumped 147 percent in five years, and she estimates seven out of every 10 people she treats have filed for bankruptcy.

That's just one of the costs to the community. No one disputes the notion that Seneca Niagara and other gambling venues create problem gamblers. The question is, how many and what do they cost the local community?

Even the nation's top researchers, from Harvard to the University of Illinois, disagree over the extent to which casino gambling adds to a community's ills and at what cost.

"There's no pee test for gambling," said Mark Farrell, the town judge in charge of Amherst's Gambling Court. "It's like trying to get your hands around a cloud."

But talk to the judges, prosecutors and counselors who see the effects firsthand, and you hear horror stories of people who got addicted and fell into debt.

Or people so desperate for cash, they stole from their family or employer.

They also will tell you that bankruptcy, more than anything else, may be the single most common consequence of being a "problem or pathological" gambler.

Wert's program counseled 245 people last year, up from 99 in 2000, and she estimates 70 percent for bankruptcy. Some twice.

That's hardly a surprise to Bucki, one of two U.S. Bankruptcy Court judges in Western New York. He's convinced casinos are a big part of the problem.

"There's no question in my mind," Bucki said. "After handling thousands of bankruptcy cases, I'm convinced casino gambling is a significant factor in the tremendous increase we've seen in bankruptcy cases."

There were more than 14,000 bankruptcy filings in Western New York last year, nearly four times the number in 1993.

"I know, for a fact," he said, "that this problem goes largely unreported."

Even in his own court.

Bankruptcy filers are required to fill out a questionnaire, a "Statement of Financial Affairs," that asks if gambling is one of the reasons they're in debt.

Most people, because of shame and embarrassment, answer "no" even when gambling is a factor, Bucki said.

More often than not, he added, the gambler blames his debt on credit card abuse. What he won't tell you is that his paycheck went into the slots. And that's when he turned to credit cards.

Bucki isn't the only law enforcement official who sees a link between increased crime and casinos.

Bigger caseloads

County prosectors used to prosecute big-money embezzlement cases, those involving more than $100,000, about three or four times a year. His staff now sees four times that number, Clark said.

"Over the past five or six years, I've seen a dramatic increase in embezzlement-type crime, and gambling has played a role," the district attorney said.

Assistant District Attorney John Doscher is the prosecutor in those cases, and he estimates the number of casino-related cases doubled in five years.

Not so long ago, the big embezzlement cases centered on people who lived the high life, Doscher said. Now, it's losses at the casino.

"We're getting more cases and bigger cases," he said. "It used to be rare to see anything over $50,000. It's no longer something that makes your eyes pop out. Now, it just doesn't catch your attention."

Bigger caseloads are also the trend in Amherst Town Court, home to the only Gambling Court in the nation.

That's where Farrell, every two weeks or so, hears the stories of gamblers who stepped over the line. Most have misdemeanor or felony convictions involving large sums of money and have been diagnosed as problem or pathological gamblers.

Denial and secrecy

During one two-hour court session in March, more than a dozen people appeared before Farrell.
Some were like Walter, a small-business owner. He estimated he lost more than $40,000 gambling at the casinos.

"Folks have no clue what overcame you," Farrell told the man, "and how pervasive a gambling addiction can be."

"I always gambled," answered Walter, now in his 40s. "As a young man, that was the cool thing to do."

One by one, the recovering addicts marched before Farrell and told story after story of self-destructive behavior that led to crime.

"I've gambled every day of my life since I was 19," said a man identified only as Anthony, a young husband and father arrested for writing a bad check. "It quickly became a downward spiral and very destructive."

For many of the people, Farrell is the only thing standing between them and jail time. And yet, the judge still finds himself confronting denial and secrecy.

"People are more willing to admit they're drug users than gamblers," Farrell said.

One of the problems in tracking the link between gambling and crime is a reluctance to go to the police, especially when the victims and thieves are family members.

"What you get is a lot of denial," said Anne Constantino, president of Horizons Health Services, one of two local treatment agencies.

The typical case isn't the gambler who gets arrested, it's the gambler who gets away with his crime, says Wert, from Jewish Family Service.

She still talks about the young man who stole his mother's Social Security number, used it to acquire credit cards and left her with $30,000 in gambling losses.

"Mom couldn't bring herself to prosecute," Wert said.

Heated debate

The hidden costs of casino gambling are being debated across the country, wherever there's a casino, and nowhere is the discussion more passionate than at the nation's top colleges and universities.

In one corner, researchers suggest gambling creates a host of economic problems, from suicide, divorce and domestic violence, to bankruptcy, crime and low employee productivity.

One expert, Earl Grinols, an economics professor at Baylor University, told Congress in 2003 that for every $1 in benefits, gambling costs society $3.

On the other side of the debate are experts who claim the "invisible" nature of problem gambling makes it difficult to quantify, both in terms of people and money.

In 1999, the National Gambling Impact Study commissioned by Congress referred to both schools of thought in calling for a moratorium on casino development.

The study estimated the number of problem and pathological gamblers in the United States had reached 3 million, with 15 million more people at risk. It also put the cost to society at about $5 billion a year.

One thing is certain, Wert said. The problem is getting worse, not better, in large part because of casinos here and elsewhere.

"When I started here in 1994, we had a lot of sports, horse racing and lottery gamblers," she said. "Now, it's almost exclusively casino and lottery gamblers."