Thursday, March 29, 2007

RALEIGH, N.C. It's a lottery helpline set up to counsel those with gambling
problems. But most callers have different needs. Like what are the winning
Powerball numbers? And can you help me with this scratch-off ticket? The
24-hour phone number -- 877-718-5543 -- is printed on every North Carolina
Education Lottery ticket and scratch card. The Problem Gambling Helpline is
also repeated on T-V and radio ads. Even so, up to 85 percent of callers
during the lottery's first year didn't ask for help for problem gambling. Of
some 300 calls to the helpline last month, more than 250 were screened out
as not having a gambling problem. Smith Worth is director of the state's
Problem Gambling Program. He's not worried about the misuse, noting that
other state lotteries report the same confusion.