More people seek ban orders from Detroit casinos

Friday, Oct. 15, 2004 | 9:31 a.m.

DETROIT -- A total of 821 people have voluntarily placed themselves on a list that permanently bans them from Detroit's three licensed casinos. That is triple the number of people on the list in 2002.

The list had 561 names last year, 271 in 2002 and 56 in 2001, its first year.

In the first nine months of 2004, 43 barred gamblers were arrested on trespassing charges for returning to a casino. Last year 39 were arrested, while five were arrested in 2002 and one in 2001.

"Being close to a casino does contribute to more people with gambling problems," said Virginia Pieroni, program manager of the Neighborhood Service Organization.

The group operates a 24-hour gambling problem hot line and a statewide gambling treatment program. About 8,000 people have contacted the gambling hot line since the casinos opened.

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