Those that gamble in Florida had better be sure they don’t have a problem, for if they do they are on their own. Legislators say that the $1 million from the four Broward pari-mutuels and the $1.3 million from the lottery budget are going to be earmarked for prevention instead of treatment, a move that makes people very unhappy.

Pat Fowler, Executive Director of the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling knows that this is a mistake. They run a gambling hotline, but when people call there is really very little they can do for them. They can give them a number of someone to call, but that is where their abilities to help end. Florida Rep. Frank Attkisson, (R-Kissimmee), was opposed to slot machines in the first place, and doesn’t want to give money where it will end up being wasted. He is in support of the prevention idea, and doesn’t want to spend money on treatment without knowing the scope of the problem, especially since gambling treatment costs so much money. "A lot of people had their hands out, and the idea was, 'Show me the impact first,' " he said. “If you pay for treatment . . . the next question is, 'How much, and for how many?' "

Gamblers have it tough as hard as other addictions, as they deal with a social stigma that other groups do not. People think that since it isn’t an actual drug that they can just stop. What they don’t realize is that drinking and drugs are just signs of an addictive personality, and gambling is the same thing. Legislators don’t want to give money to something they basically feel is in the gamblers ability to stop.

 

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