“Slot machines are the crack cocaine of gambling,” says Lee Thompson, president of the Maine Council on Problem Gambling.

The combination of relatively small stakes, immediate gratification and an insular environment – no windows, no clocks – is extremely seductive, she said. And because they are socially acceptable, slots facilities draw in people who might not gamble otherwise, including the elderly and, increasingly, single women.

In addition to the high-profile Hollywood Slots in Bangor, Mainers can take a chance on Tri-State Megabucks, Powerball, a wide variety of scratch tickets, high-stakes Bingo, informal workplace pools on sporting events, dorm room games of Texas Hold ‘Em, and more. Not surprisingly, perhaps, problem gambling is on the rise.

A toll-free “help line” run by the Washington-D.C.-based National Council on Problem Gambling took 922 calls from Maine in 2006, up from 337 in 2005 and 118 in 2004. Most were from white males 26 to 34 years old. The most common gambling problem they reported was associated with scratch tickets, followed by slots.

Gov. John Baldacci recently declared this week Problem Gambling Awareness Week in Maine. A number of activities are planned to raise awareness of the issue.

“We want Mainers to know that treatment for problem gambling is not only available but is also effective in improving the lives of problem gamblers and their families,” said Guy Cousins, associate director of the Maine Office of Substance Abuse.

Thompson said last week that the state has begun training dozens of social workers and other counselors to take on the specialized challenges of gambling addiction.

Even before the opening of Hollywood Slots, she said, 2 percent to 3 percent of Maine adults were “problem gamblers,” meaning they had concern about their behavior and had made periodic efforts to cut back or stop. Another 1 percent of Maine adults suffered from a bona fide medical diagnosis of “pathological gambling” – a damaging loss of control and an inability to stop gambling despite serious financial losses and profound personal repercussions.

Thompson, a licensed clinical social worker, said there are doubtless many more people in Maine who are in gambling-related trouble. With the advent of Hollywood Slots and its planned expansion, she said, their numbers are likely to increase.

Thompson said support for problem gamblers is growing in other ways.

“A year ago, there was just one Gamblers Anonymous group in Maine; now there are five [in Bangor, Portland, Lewiston, Augusta and York]. Ideally, there should be many more, but it’s an improvement,” she said.

For those who seek help, Thompson said, coping with the desperate financial difficulties associated with out-of-control gambling is usually the first priority. While declaring bankruptcy may seem like a logical approach, she cautioned against it.

“In many cases, it just clears the decks so the person can go out and charge up more debt,” she said. For that reason, she suggested, gamblers and those advising them should explore the possibility of setting up long-term repayment plans instead. And personal counseling and support, she added, are essential to reclaiming lost relationships and shaken self-esteem.

Spotting the signs of problem gambling

Would you know a gambling problem if you saw it in a friend, loved one, co-worker, patient or student? Here are some warning signs from the National Council on Problem Gambling:

? Preoccupied with gambling and unable to stop.

? Bragging about gambling, exaggerating wins and minimizing losses.

? Restless and irritable when not gambling.

? Gambling to win back what you’ve lost.

? Borrowing money for gambling.

? Lying to hide time spent gambling, or unpaid debts.

? Losing work time because of gambling.

? Doing something illegal to get money for gambling.

? Jeopardizing a significant relationship or job by gambling.

Resources

National Problem Gambling Helpline: (800) 522-4700

. In Bangor, Gamblers Anonymous meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays in the Leonard Room at The Acadia Hospital on Stillwater Avenue.

. For a list of other Gamblers Anonymous meetings in Maine, phone 773-7867 or go to www.gamblersanonymous.org.

. For more information about problem gambling and gambling addiction, go to www.npgaw.org.