Florida Residents Seeking Help In Record Numbers For Gambling Addiction

A new report shows Florida residents are seeking help in record numbers for gambling addiction.

Calls to a state-wide gambling help line have increased 12 percent over the past year and 17 percent over the past two, according to the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling.

Group spokesman Bryan Kongsivk blames it on the expansion of gambling options across the state.

"There have been some definite expansions in gambling over the last 4 and 5 years, starting with the introduction of slot machines into the Broward and Miami-Dade county paramutual," Kongsvick said. "Then there was the big thing in 2008 where black jack was introduced into the Seminole tribal casinos."

With the recent surge in Internet gambling and a new law removing limits on poker bets, Kongsivk expects the trend to continue.