Friday, March 30, 2007

A telephone helpline for problem gamblers set up a year ago by North
Carolina lottery officials has received plenty of calls, but not from its
targeted audience. Up to 85 percent of the calls haven't been from people
with gambling problems, officials said. Instead, callers want to know the
winning Powerball numbers or have questions about their scratch-off tickets.
In February alone, about 300 people called the helpline, but 250 of the
calls came from people who didn't have a gambling problem. The 24-hour
toll-free helpline number is printed on every lottery ticket and scratch
card, along with another telephone number people can call with questions
about the games. The same confusion happens in other states, said Smith
Worth, director of the North Carolina Problem Gambling Program.