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Gambling in Florida social and economic facts
Mar 11, 2003
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The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling receives over 600 calls a month. Since June 1992 when the helpline program was started, the helpline has received well over 50,000 calls.
According to callers:
- Almost 1/2 have minor children.
- 17.5% are unemployed.
- 35% admit to committing illegal acts to fund gambling.
- 1 out of 5 compulsive gamblers have attempted suicide.
- Spouses of compulsive gamblers are 3 times as likely to attempt suicide as the general population.
- 1 out of every 10 citizens has one or more problems as a result of gambling.
According to a Florida high school gambling survey in 1995:
- 90% of all teens surveyed reported gambling at some time in their life.
- 80% reported actively gambling (gambling more than once) that year.
- 6.6% profiled as already being problem or compulsive gamblers.
According to a recent study of juvenile detention centers:
- 46% of those surveyed profiled as problem or compulsive gamblers.
- 19% reported having stolen from family members to fund their gambling or pay gambling debts-of those 22% reported committing a serious felony.
- 20% reported having stolen from outside sources to fund their gambling or pay gambling debts -of those 13% reported committing a serious felony.
The children of compulsive gamblers do worse in school than their peers and are more apt to have alcohol, drug, or gambling problems; eating disorders; and are more likely to be depressed. They attempt suicide twice as often as their classmates.
Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling (www.gamblinghelp.org)
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