As reported by: AP Wire via KGW.com
Elizabeth Wallace didn't think a person could get addicted to gambling. That was before she lost $750,000, considered suicide and checked herself into the state's first long-term residential treatment center for gamblers.

Though Wallace's losses are bigger than most, she's part of a growing trend of women seeking help for problem gambling, researchers say. In Oregon, for example, last year marked the first time that more women sought help than men, said Jeffrey Marotta, who coordinates state services for problem gamblers.

Addiction counselors and researchers say men tend to seek the excitement of card games, and gambling on games of skill. Women tend to gamble to escape feelings of stress or chronic pain, and prefer the solitude of video poker or slot machines. With the proliferation of video poker and line games, experts say, it's not surprising that more women are getting hooked.

"We're just beginning to see the slots players coming into treatment," said Peter Walsh, program manager at Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare, which treats problem gamblers. "You don't have to go to the Coast; you can go to the corner restaurant or delicatessen, and each is like a minicasino in itself."


Article By: AP Wire via KGW.com