Huge Powerball Jackpot Provides Temptation For Gambling Addicts To Relapse
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Addiction experts are concerned the rising Powerball jackpot could bring those dealing with gambling addictions back into their old habits.
The odds of winning Wednesday's $1.5 billion drawing are 1-in-292 million, but the odds of having a gambling addiction in California are 1-in-25.
"It's exactly like alcohol and drugs, the addiction is the same," said Terri Sue Canale-Dalman with the California Office of Problem Gambling.
She says all of the lottery hype can hurt people hooked on gambling .
"It can create triggers, something that makes a gambler want to gamble more during that time because they're seeing a form of gambling all the time," she said.
The office runs a 24-hour addiction hotline in 21 different languages and does outreach through billboards and pamphlets. A range of free counseling is offered, from self-help to inpatient treatment.
"We've seen a lot more people looking for help just because they're aware that we have a treatment program," she said.
The California Lottery contributes $130,000 a year to help fight gambling addiction, a fraction of the $5.5 billion worth of tickets they sell each year. Unlike schools, the problem gambling office doesn't see any extra money when more tickets are sold.