Gambling addiction among women on rise

CINCINNATI, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- There is a growing national trend of women turning to crime to finance their gambling habit, U.S. experts say.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Sunday that women are increasingly becoming addicted to gambling.

"There's a big societal shift. Women didn't used to do this. Women are catching up to men," said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Take Michelle Paluga, 43, of Colerain Township, Ohio. She stole $150,000 from her employer and another $28,000 from the parent-teacher association chapter of which she was president, all to feed her gambling addiction.

She was sentenced in August to 18 months in prison. She's due out in February 2010.

Arnie Wexler, former executive director for the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, now runs a problem-gambling counseling business with a national hotline.

Ten years ago, 20 percent to 25 percent of calls to the New Jersey council involved female gamblers, he said, but today he said his national problem gambling hotline -- 1-888-LASTBET -- gets about half of its calls from women.

"When you have a situation with slots or (video) poker machines, that's where the numbers are going crazy," Wexler said.