Gambling turning into a big problem for Wisconsinites

Gambling turning into a big problem for Wisconsinites
By Mike Joyce

Eau Claire (WQOW)- With the Super Bowl just a week away, WQOW News 18 called a Wisconsin hotline that helps compulsive gamblers to see what they could tell us about one of the biggest gambling days of the year.

The Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling received almost 14,000 calls last year from addicts calling their hotline for help.

"Our average debt last year was $158,000 and for us that number was triple over 2010," says Executive Director Rose Gruber. "It seems to be like their debt is getting higher."

Whether it's lottery tickets, mail order sweepstakes, slot machines or sports, betting experts say over 330,000 Wisconsinites have a gambling problem.

"If you are a sports better who has been losing all season long, the Super Bowl almost becomes in their mind, a make-it or break-it," Gruber explains. "So it really becomes kind of a desperation last-ditch effort for people for people who have a sports gambling problem.

To draw in bets, sports gambling web sites give fans hundreds of different betting options; from how long the national anthem will last, to which team will score the first point. When compulsive gamblers do ask for help, experts say it's usually too late.

"By the time people reach out very often for help, they have lost everything. Very often they have maxed out credit cards; 10 to 20 credit cards. They may have pay day loans. They probably have borrowed from everyone they know at that point. They have maxed financially," Gruber says. "It's not about they money. It's about the feeling. It's about the high just like other addictions. So no matter how much they win, they are probably going to continue to lose until they get help for their addiction."