The gambling law that was past in Pennsylvania is over 2 years old. In the law is the stipulation that the health department is responsible for running a Compulsive Gamblers hotline.
One month after the opening of the 1st Slots Casino in Pennsylvania and finally the gambling Hotline has opened. Many of those who opposed legalized gambling in the state are furious that the casino opened before the gambling hotline.
When asked about this a spokesmen for the
Heath Department said until the first license was purchased the health department was not given any money to set up the hotline. Once a casinos owner was approved for the license and the fee was paid, the health department was given its budget and they started work on setting up the gambling problem hotline.
The critics are saying that the state should have put aside some of the 36 million dollars that was used to set up the gambling commission, to set up the gambling hotline so it could have been in place before the casinos opened and not a month after.
"The truth is that some people really do not want gambling of any type in the state and they are going to criticize everything we do" said the spokesmen for the health department.
The hotline is opened Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m, and off hours there is an answering service in case of emergencies.
The toll-free phone number is 1-877-565-2112.
