Proximity to casinos may lead to problem gambling

If you live in Fallbrook, you’re not more than 20-25 minutes from a casino with card tables and literally thousands of slot machines.

Although most people probably frequent local casinos for a dinner out, an evening away in a nice hotel or to throw a few bucks at a card table, for a growing number of residents, the proximity to the gambling means maxed-out credit cards, foreclosures, depression and divorce.

For those who get caught up in check fraud and embezzlement to cover gambling debts, the road can end in a prison cell.

Before voters approved Proposition 1A in 2000 to allow Las Vegas-class gambling on Indian lands in California, there were approximately 90,000 gambling addicts in California.

The California Council on Problem Gambling now estimates that the number is higher than 1.2 million.

Research from the University of Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions demonstrated that living within 10 miles of a casino is associated with a 90-percent increase in the odds of becoming addicted to gambling, which means thousands of people in the Temecula Valley are at risk.

In 2007 the California Problem Gambling hotline reported that the majority of the callers who contacted them listed Indian casinos as their primary gambling preference, and the Pechanga and San Manuel casinos were the most frequented destinations.

Most callers were between 26 and 55 years old and ran up $34,110 in debt from gambling losses.

Gambling can break a family apart and put everyone in economic peril.

Lori H. thought her husband was onto a good thing working in Temecula as a professional poker player. He lost his job in a warehouse and thought playing cards could be a new career.

He went to the casino in the late afternoons and came home after midnight.

“He always had cash with him, so I thought he was winning pretty big,” said Lori. “We paid off some bills, and I thought things were finally easing up as far as our debt went.”

What Lori didn’t know was that her husband usually lost at the poker tables and at the slot machines he enjoyed. The cash he brought home was from a home equity loan he had taken out without her knowledge.

Her husband had taken his sister to the broker to pose as his wife and sign papers.

By the time Lori found out, it was 18 months later and she was almost $140,000 poorer.

Unfortunately, Lori is not alone.

Seniors addicted to gambling lose their entire Social Security check in a couple of hours, and professionals get caught up in embezzlement schemes to get money to gamble.

Addictions can creep up on people. What starts as an enjoyable pastime becomes a burning drive that takes over a person’s heart and mind.

Most problem gamblers start out as winners. They go home with more money than they came in with and want to relive that excitement. They begin to feel that they’re “lucky” and can’t lose.

When the losses start, and the losses always start, they gamble more and more to win the money back.

If you think you might have a problem with gambling, the American Psychological Association reports 10 signs of addiction.

It can be tricky to see these signs in yourself. If family members or friends show concern that your gambling may have gotten out of control, you need to listen to what they say.

Answering ‘yes’ to even one symptom indicates a person has a problem with gambling and may need to get professional guidance and counseling to overcome it.

1. Preoccupation – Do you often find yourself thinking about gambling? Do you plan your next venture or think of ways to get money to gamble?

2. Tolerance – Do you need more and more money to gamble in order to feel excited?

3. Withdrawal – Do you feel irritable or upset when you cannot gamble or when you try to stop it?

4. Escape – Do you use gambling as an escape from problems or negative feelings like anxiety, depression or loneliness?

5. Lying – Do you lie to family or friends to hide how much you gamble or how much money you have lost?

6. Illegal acts – Have you ever stolen or embezzled money in order to finance your gambling?

7. Risked significant relationship – Have you lost or damaged significant relationships or a job because of gambling?

8. Bailout – Do you rely on other people to bail you out when you lose money and cannot pay the bills?

9. Loss of control – Have you tried in the past to stop gambling and repeatedly been unsuccessful? Do you feel like it is out of your control?

10. Chasing – Do you gamble more when you lose money in order to break even? Do large losses lead to even more gambling?