Problem Gamblers Seek Help

Illinois has a new way of dealing with problem gamblers, they have some options to try and keep them out of the casinos. They have a new self-exclusion list that gambling addicts can put themselves on, so that they cannot gain access to the casinos and to the slot machines and/or gaming tables. It is voluntary, and over 3,800 have already signed up to not be allowed back into the casinos. 

The problem isn’t getting people to sign up for it; it is the casinos sticking to the list. One after another, there are complaints from problem gamblers that they put their name on the list only to be able to walk right through the door and lose more money. Some of the casinos are checking id’s of gamblers when they come in, but most don’t. The casinos are mostly focusing on those that appear to be under the age of 30, and they think that if they can start getting a handle on the problem gamblers in that age group, they might be able to expand the group they check to those above 30 as well. If they go to the casino and try to get in, and when their id is checked they are on the list, they are arrested and turned over to the police for trespassing.  

Since starting to card those under 30, the casinos have arrested almost a half a dozen people, and sixteen others were arrested after the casino discovered through other means that they were on the list.  Problem gamblers have been able to take advantage of this list since 2002, and they put their name and photo into a database that identifies them as not being allowed in. However, those that want to get around the system, do have ways of doing so. They can play the slot machines that only pay out small amounts, and thus never having to show an ID. The gaming industry thinks that this is a start to helping those with a problem, but it is definitely not a solution. And if they do win, and are discovered to be on the list, they have to turn the money they won over to a gambling addiction program, which should be another deterrent to those with problems.

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