Gambling establishments continue to negatively affect our community by taking needed resources for personal gain. Since legalizing gambling, our society is addicted in one form or another.

The following has situations have occurred since legalizing gambling:

1) Illegal gambling increases even though gambling has been legalized.

2) Gambling addiction is escalating with no end in site.

3) Gambling addiction rates are double for those living near a gambling establishment.

4) Personal bankruptcy rates are higher in countries that have gambling establishment.

5) Crime rates are on the rise due to desperate individuals who are trying to recover gambling loses.

6) Fraud and embezzlement become common among formerly hard-working and highly trusted people.

7) Suicide rates among addicted gamblers are greater then any other addiction.

8) Local businesses have lost revenues and or have gone bankrupt

9) Families lost all their resources due to a spouse having a gambling addiction.

With every day that passes more and more people realize someone around them lost their savings at the gambling establishment. My town is twenty nine miles from the nearest gambling establishment. On my block alone more then fifty percent of the people know some one who lost their life savings. On the same block only twenty percent know someone close who has a drug addiction.

As you educate yourself you start to realize there is a problem and something needs to be done before it gets out of control.

Governments need to take the time to realize that gambling addiction is a silent addiction and the negative affects are never felt in the short run. It's up to them to implement procedures to halt this addiction if it's not too late.

Mr. Howard Keith has an extensive background in dealing with compulsive gamblers, relatives and friends of gamblers and teenage gamblers. Mr. Keith believes there are many alternatives to aid in the recovery of a gambling addiction verses a twelve step program. A large percentage of his emails were from compulsive gamblers looking for an alternative to Gamblers Anonymous and twelve step programs. Gamblers Anonymous also helps a significant number of people each year but there is a large percentage that they are unable to reach.

For more information on gambling addiction and stop gambling you can check out I Stopped Gambling So Can You http://www.istoppedgambling.com/