PVCC Puma Press: December 2004

America’s market economy has always encouraged a nation of risk takers, but research shows that growing legions are taking their risks outside the boardroom or off the stock exchange and into the casino, both physically and on the Internet. It is a high time for gamblers, both nationwide and in Arizona.

Since the turn of the century, Arizonans have seen an increase in the number of casinos and the games they are allowed to offer. The lottery has grown more popular. Racing fans can bet on horse or dog races at any of dozens of bars in Phoenix alone. Poker tournaments have replaced tractor pulls and cultural programming on cable networks like ESPN and the Travel Channel. And, increasingly, bettors are playing casino games or betting on sports from the comfort of their own home computers. In addition, the new poker craze has given rise to a new group of gamblers who see everyday people winning large money on television and believe they can do the same.

“Our poker rooms have increased in popularity since poker became a television event,” says Gail Thompson of Casino Arizona.

Since Las Vegas and Atlantic City became gambling Meccas in the last half of the 20th century, each city has had to face the impact that gambling has on the community. With the more recent spread of legal gambling to every state except Utah and Hawaii, and the new ability for anyone to gamble on the Internet, all of America will soon have to figure out the costs of gambling and what steps to take, if any.

Researchers vary in their opinions on gambling’s effects and the question remains: Is gambling a fun diversion and harmless entertainment, or does it prey on certain individual’s weaknesses while draining their pocketbooks?
“It’s just so much more fun to watch a football game when you’ve got money riding on it,” says Ian McCarthy from his usual Sunday afternoon spot behind the bar at the Valle Luna Mexican Restaurant, 16048 N. Cave Creek Rd. For McCarthy, Internet gambling has been “good, clean, profitable fun.” He first opened an offshore Internet account last year, and began betting small amounts, $5 to $10 per game. Eventually, he moved his money to SportsBetting.com, which allowed him to play online blackjack as well as sporting events. This soon became a nice supplement to his bartending income.

“It was crazy,” he says of the success that followed. Starting with only a few hundred dollars, “I had a few big nights and the next thing you know, I’ve got thousands of dollars in there.” McCarthy recently cashed out for nearly $20,000 and used the money to pay cash for a new car. He left a portion of his winnings in, and continues to bet on football each week.

Professional sports have long been a staple of American betting. The ability to wager on the Internet has replaced illegal bookmaking operations around the country. With the freedom to wager legally, there is no reason to risk prosecution for breaking the law. In addition, popular Internet gambling sites like BetUS.com and non-sports sites like PartyPoker.com, offer fast, secure payouts and require that players have enough money in their accounts to cover any bet that is made. You can only lose what you have, or what you can access with your credit card. Unlike casinos in Las Vegas and elsewhere, there is currently no tax on big winnings like McCarthy’s, as the Internet remains largely unregulated.

At Padre Murphy’s, 4338 W. Bell Road, it is the customers, not the bartenders, who enjoy betting. The television screens there tune in to horse and dog races nationwide, all day long. Trent Hill, 26, of Phoenix sits before a mountain of paper and printouts that he uses to help him analyze each day’s horse races.

“I love it,” he says. “It’s such an adrenaline rush watching the horses come down the stretch and seeing if my work was fruitful.” Hill comes to the bar four days a week, usually during the day before his nighttime job, and says he has never had anything but enjoyment from gambling.

“I just try to make enough to pay my lunch tab,” he says. “Honestly, it’s just a lot of fun for me.”

Gambling experts, however, say gambling is not all just fun and games. Some vary in their opposition to legalized gambling, but all recognize the very real negative effects on at least some gamblers, which they term “problem” or “pathological” gamblers.

A 2004 study by the Arizona Office of Problem Gambling of 606 clients who received state-sponsored treatment for gambling problems shows that problem gambling affects a diverse cross-section of the population.

Surprisingly, 55.9 percent of those treated were women, mostly for addiction to casino slot machines and video poker. Eighty-four percent were age 35 or older. The majority attended college, had professional jobs and earned more than $35,000 per year. Average household debt was more than $10,000. They were also more likely to abuse alcohol, smoke cigarettes and use illegal drugs.

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The real threat of Internet gambling comes from the isolation and secrecy of the betting activity itself.
—Kevin O’Neill, Council on Compulsive Gambling
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Another study by the same organization on gambling’s prevalence statewide shows that 89 percent of the adult population gambles at least occasionally, but only 10 percent gamble weekly. Casino gambling and the lottery are the most common bets. The report finds that “(Frequent) gamblers are more likely than non-gamblers to be male, white, divorced, separated or never married, to be working full time and have incomes over $75,000 per year.” In all, 2.3 percent of Arizonans, or one in 43 people, were classified as problem or pathological gamblers. That represents approximately 100,000 people statewide, found most frequent among casino gamblers and Internet players.

Dr. Katherine Wilson of the WinWay Center for Gambling Recovery, 2101 E. Broadway Rd., #33, treats problem gamblers in Phoenix. A pioneer in the research, assessment and treatment of women gamblers, she is a lecturer and researcher in the field of problem gambling and has presented various findings at national and international gambling conferences. In designing treatment programs, Dr. Wilson has incorporated the latest problem gambling research.

“Problem gamblers are preoccupied with gambling,” she says. She points to the following behaviors as warning signs: the need to bet more and more money to keep the excitement going, irritability when unable to gamble, gambling to escape dealing with another problem, chasing losses by returning the next day and lying to friends and family members about gambling.

Her goal, she says, is to “provide within a supportive environment a continuum of high quality and cost-efficient behavioral health services for problem gamblers and their family members.” She is particularly interested in female gamblers, who are often seen as not having as serious a problem as their male counterparts, who are more likely to play for higher stakes.

Wilson says, “Many women state, ‘I feel like two different people. I used to be so responsible, and then I started gambling. What happened to me?’ Many report that when they look in the mirror, they no longer recognize themselves.” She adds that women in early recovery from gambling addictions often feel depressed, fearful, wounded and ashamed. They may also feel hurt and anger toward family members and friends who no longer trust them.

So, what separates these problem gamblers with those, like McCarthy, who find harmless enjoyment from gambling? According to the Arizona Office of Problem Gambling, problem gamblers in Arizona tend to play slot machines most frequently. They are likely to play for excitement or challenge, as opposed to playing for fun. While relatively few used the Internet to gamble, Internet gambling is rapidly increasing.

In fact, a recent study by the American Psychological Association found that the majority of Internet players are problem gamblers. The report found that among the 8.1 percent of people who said they had Internet wagering experience, psychologists classified 74 percent as "problematic" or "pathological" gamblers. Nearly half of the Internet gamblers said they played weekly.

According to Kevin O’Neill of the Council on Compulsive Gambling, “The real threat of Internet gambling comes from the isolation and secrecy of the betting activity itself.” He refers to this as the "cave syndrome," due to the gambler’s isolated behavior. Even McCarthy would agree with this point.

“It’s real easy to get carried away on the Internet,” he says, ”Especially late at night or after a couple drinks. You’ve just got to be careful.”

Gambling addiction problems are likely to increase in step with the growing number and easy availability of gambling venues in Arizona. For help with a gambling addiction, contact the WinWay Center for Gambling Recovery at (480) 967-2WIN.