According to Bernhard, only 1 or 2 percent of the population (or about 3 million people) can be considered ''problem" or ''pathological" gamblers. Still, the National Gambling Impact Study reported that 15 million more people are at risk for becoming problem gamblers. The report concludes, however, that ''the actual prevalence rates may be much higher," since one trait that defines problem gamblers is that they conceal the extent of their gambling. These statistics look even worse for those living within 50 miles of a casino, says Bernhard, since the number of problem gamblers increases after the introduction nearby of casino gambling.
Luckily for most people, casino gambling remains a recreational activity. As Bernhard says, ''All products hurt some of their customer base some of the time. Think of cars. But hopefully, as a society, you end up at a consensus of what's an acceptable level of harm."
He adds that having a problem-gambling treatment facility in casino towns is like having a hospital at the bottom of a ski slope: It just makes sense. Bringing casino gambling to a town means you end up with predictable problems, and, he says, ''you need to make sure you're addressing that."
Whenever billions of dollars are at stake, as is the case in casino gambling, tempers will flare among those who take either side of an issue. Whether for good or ill, though, gambling has been around for thousands of years, and it's not going away. When it comes to casino gambling, there is one unassailable truth: Casinos don't discriminate. They'll take money from anyone.
Betsy Block is a freelance writer in Arlington.
