Lottery News and Stories
Lottery's gambling helpline callers don't usually need help
Tuesday, March 27, 2007 posted 01:20 PM EDT
RALEIGH, N.C. - A telephone helpline for problem gamblers set up a year ago by North Carolina lottery officials has received
plenty of calls, but not from its targeted audience.
Up to 85 percent of the calls haven't been from people with gambling problems, officials said. Instead, callers want to know
the winning Powerball numbers or have questions about their scratch-off tickets.
In February alone, about 300 people called the helpline but 250 of the calls came from people who didn't have a gambling
problem.
The 24-hour toll-free helpline number is printed on every lottery ticket and scratch card, along with another telephone number
people can call with questions about the games.
The same confusion happens in other states, said Smith Worth, director of the North Carolina Problem Gambling Program.
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