ON - Problem gambling rates high in region
By HANK DANISZEWSKI, London FREE PRESS BUSINESS REPORTER, Sat, December 2, 2006
That zealous employee who never misses a day and always looks for overtime may be hiding a gambling problem, says the head of Addiction Services of Thames Valley.
Speaking at a conference organized by the Industrial Accident Prevention Association, Linda Sibley said gambling addiction is an "invisible" problem creeping into more and more workplaces.
Studies show about five per cent of adults in Ontario have a gambling problem, but seven per cent of adults aged 18-24 admit they have a problem.
Lotteries, casinos, online games and the growing popularity of poker have made gambling popular, even with young children, Sibley said. "This is the first generation to grow up with this level of opportunity."
Illegal gambling booms. There are an estimated 100 illegal gambling dens in Southwestern Ontario, Sibley said.
Employees with gambling problems are usually much harder to spot than those with alcohol or drug problems.
Although the employees may work hard to earn more gambling money, their addiction can lead to sleep deprivation, depression, accidents on the job, extreme stress and violence, said Sibley.
The Ontario government takes in more than $2 billion from gambling every year, but one study said 36 per cent came from problem gamblers.
"That has to stop. We have to identify those people and get them help," said Sibley.
The government sets aside $36 million a year to deal with treatment and prevention programs for problem gamblers.
Southwestern Ontario had the highest rate of participation in problem gambling programs, almost double the provincial average, Sibley said.
Gambling is fuelled by myths and misunderstanding about the odds of winning, she said.
One statistician compared the odds of winning a big lottery prize to the chance of dialing a random telephone number in the City of Toronto and having it connect to the right person.
"It’s sometime called a voluntary tax on people who are bad at math."
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