Colorado Gaming Earnings Improves as Expected Increase in Problem Gaming Fails to Happen
Problem gaming counselors in the state of Colorado refused to believe their very own evidence, as casino gaming improves in the state but compulsive gaming reports do not. Colorado gaming earnings saw a significant improvement from gaming resources in July and August 2009 from the implementation of new gaming rules at Colorado casino facilities. Meanwhile, an increase in problem gaming predicted by some gaming critics failed to materialize.
Earnings in July 2009 at Colorado‘s three casino gaming towns reached an all-time high of $76.5 million after the implementation of the chances from the Amendment 50 on July 2nd, 2009 like raising the minimum wager, adding the games of craps and roulette and allowing 24/7 gaming operation.
August earnings dropped slightly to $69.7 million. Representatives from the Center for Dependency, Addiction and Rehabilitation admitted that the increase they expected in gaming addiction-related phone calls failed to happen. But the executive director of the center, Franklin Lisnow, sees a negative side to the good news.
Lisnow said on September 26th, 2009 that the absence of problem gaming-related calls probably means individuals refusing to admit that they do have a problem, a position which followed the conclusion that problem gaming is rising in Colorado, regadless of whether the calls rise or fall. He said that gaming addicts are generaly in denial.
Lisnow added that by improving the stakes, adding new games and increasing the gaming facilities hours of operation, more individuals think that they can gamble their way out of their financial problems.
But the National Council on Problem Gambling and the Institute on Problem Gambling said that a part of the population subject to pathological gaming and to compulsive gambling remain constant, without any reaction to legal changes.
2009-10-07
David M. Bedingfield
