INCREASED REQUESTS FOR HELP BY PROBLEM GAMBLERS - DATA FROM A GAMBLING CRISIS TELEPHONE HOTLINE

Aim. A report on the rate and profile of calls received by a national gambling telephone hotline for a twelve month period covering six mont h periods before and after the opening of New Zealand's second casino located in Auckland. Methods. Data collected by the hotline for normal counselling purposes during the year ended July 31 1996 were collated and analysed for trends, gambler profiles and reported problem gambli ng modes. Results. New first time callers accessing the hotline servic e during the period comprised 732 problem gamblers and 604 significant others of problem gamblers ( 1 336 new callers in total). Numbers of these new callers contacting the service increased from 510 in the fir st six months to 826 for the second similar period. Problem gamblers a nd significant others of problem gamblers reported relatively specific problem modes, rather than generalised problem gambling behaviour. Re ported problem modes were track (horse and dog) racing comprising 25% of problem modes, video gambling machines ('poker' machines) 49%, casi nos 24% and other modes 2%. New callers increased by 62% in the second half of the year. Casinos increased from 7% of reported problems in t he six months prior to the opening of the Auckland casino, to 34% of r eported problems for the six months following. Seventy three percent o f problem gambler callers were forty years of age or younger, with 15% under 25 years of age. Most problem gambler callers were male (70%), while most significant other callers were male (77%). Maori problem ga mbler callers comprised 24% of all gamblers and 35% of female problem gambler callers. Conclusions. Increased use of the gambling crisis hot line by new callers coincided with increased availability of gambling opportunities, particularly gambling machines and a casino, and increa sed gambling turnover figures. Gambling machines appear to be over rep resented in reported problems, while reported casino gambling problems increased quickly with availability of the second casino. Maori calle rs, particularly female Maori, are high users of the gambling crisis h otline.