New Head of Council On Compulsive Gambling Says Information First Priority

Thursday, Feb. 29, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

"What we need to learn is the scope of the problem," said Dick Lankford, introduced Wednesday as the council's executive director.

The Mississippi Gaming Association, an organization of the state's 29 casinos, presented the council Wednesday with $100,000,.and the non-profit, gaming-neutral council hopes additional funding is on the way.

A bill approved in the House and pending in the Senate would provide $100,000 from gaming-related fines. In addition, the Council hopes to raise $100,000 from the private sector.

The money will be used to gather data and provide assistance, including a 24-hour statewide compulsive gambling hotline scheduled to begin operations April 1.

Joanna Franklin, an executive vice president of the National Council on Problem Gambling, said the state group might be surprised by what it finds.

Problem gambling shows up in 2 percent to 7 percent of the adult population, Franklin said. Because of growth of casinos in Mississippi, she said, the numbers would likely run 5 percent to 7 percent, or 100,000 to 140,000 problem gamblers.

"We know when there is availability and accessiblility, the number of problem gamblers will increase,", said Franklin, whose group is based in the Washington area.

Creation of the Mississippi Council on Compulsive Gambling followed a session last summer attended by 40 public and private sector leaders from throughout the state. The casino industry provided $40,000 to help the organization get started.

Casino opponent Carol Smith of Jackson said the council is a positive step because "there are a lot of people who are not able to help themselves."

Smith said, however, she finds it "noting but hypocritical" that the casinos would fund the association when they were at the heart of the problem.

Roger Derby, president of the Mississippi Gaming Association and general manager of the Isle of Capri-Vicksburg, said the gaming houses are "in the business of entertainment. We are not in the business of creating problems or for people with weaknesses who create problems for themselves."