Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The: Gambling calls rise at hotline; NCAA tourney led to record volume i

A statewide gambling hotline received a record number of calls in March, which officials attribute to wagering on the NCAA basketball tournament and increased awareness of the need to seek help for a gambling addiction.

The Green Bay-based Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling Helpline received 1,095 calls in March, the first time since the service began in 1996 that the number surpassed 1,000, said Rose Gruber, executive director for the council.

While that's a record, Cheri Braley, Helpline training coordinator, said the monthly totals have been steadily increasing for the past year and a half. In February, for example, the line received 907 calls, 60 more than in January and a 17% increase over February 2004.

The council also has seen an increase in the number of calls from senior and female gamblers. About 55% of callers are female, compared with 20% in 1997.

"Very often, by the time people start thinking they have a gambling problem, they may be hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt," she said. "They get to the point where they feel there is nowhere to go, that their families would be better off without them, that things will never get better."

Randy Skolarz, 35, is familiar with the emotional low that often accompanies a gambling addiction.

A recovering gambler, Skolarz progressed from occasional bingo games to casinos, eventually accumulating $1,300 in gambling debts.

He said support services such as the Helpline were instrumental in his recovery. He is now training to answer Helpline calls.

"I listen to people over the phone that have been in my position," he said. "It reminds me of where I was, and where I don't want to be anymore."

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