Easy access, sophisticated sites create potential for compulsion

Tom Verdin

Monday, March 20, 2000 | 10:42 a.m.

The following organizations offer information about Internet gambling:

The following organizations offer help to compulsive gamblers:

LOS ANGELES -- The names are as alluring as the promise of easy money: VegasUSA, RoyalFlush.net, Caribbean Gold, Supercraps.com.

Internet casinos, more than 700 of which operate worldwide, lure players with snazzy graphics, the sound of coins cascading from slot machines and the type of come-ons that are customary in the ever-expanding gambling universe.

VegasUSA asks visitors to "Sign-Up Today to Win $1,000." Grand Dominican Online Casino trumpets its "$1,000 monthly and $10,000 yearly cash giveaways." The Belmont Sportsbook and Casino offers a "cash sign-up bonus" and "23 Las Vegas-style casino games."

And the big bonus: Instant gratification.

Players say online gaming offers the thrill of regular casinos without having to brave the desert heat of Las Vegas or the chill of the Jersey shore.

Michele Jansen, a registered nurse from Jacksonville, Fla., has been playing slot machines and video poker online for six months. She knows how enticing the virtual casinos can be.

She typically bets just $20 at a time, but once lost $150.

"I was totally addicted that day and kept losing, but just kept putting more money in," she said. "My husband was so mad at me, and I cried. But I kept thinking, 'I'm going to win.' I think it was hard because I was on the computer at home and I was alone ... It was real easy to just click the button -- and then the money would go."

An estimated 2 million Americans gambled online in 1999, wagering more than $1 billion, according to industry research. The number is expected to double this year.

Even as Congress debates a ban on cybercasinos, their popularity is evident online, from "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Gambling" book to chat rooms where gamblers share tips and swap stories.

One gambler recently bragged about spending the "extra" time at work placing bets. Another noted losing $500 in 45 minutes.

Industry representatives said they are trying to police themselves, providing Internet links to gambling-addiction groups and creating programs to filter out underage players.

But some operators say it isn't their place to worry about whether their games promote compulsive gambling.

"It's like alcohol. If you like to drink, you drink," said Giancarlo Bettini, chief executive officer of Antigua-based Global-Player.com. "The same with gaming or the same with drugs. It's not really on us to say you're not allowed to gamble."