Higher number of women developing gambling addiction

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by Change | 24 Nov 2008

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The number of women who are developing gambling addictions is on the increase, reports a US problem hotline.

An increasing number of women are developing gambling addictions due to a cultural shift, an expert claims.

The National Council on Problem Gambling's (NCPG's) executive director Keith Whyte identifies a change in US society which is leading to a rising number of women developing a problematic reliance on betting, Cincinnati.com reports.

Suggesting this change is due to more ladies having access to loans, credit cards and a steady flow of income, he says there is a preference for slots and video-poker machines over traditional table games.

"There's a big societal shift. Women didn't used to do this. Women are catching up to men," he claims.

Mr Whyte tells the news provider he now runs a hotline for those with a gambling addiction.

He says a decade ago, between a fifth and a quarter of calls were from women, whereas half of the problems his firm deals with now are from females.

"Often, they are using gambling to escape problems in their life," he asserts.

The NCPG defines a gambling addiction as a pathological and compulsive condition in which a subject develops an increasing preoccupation and need to bet.

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