BRIGHT LIGHTS, LOUD MACHINES... AND THE SOUND OF COINS SPILLING OUT. THAT'S PART OF THE LURE OF CASINOS... WHERE THE NAME OF THE GAME IS TO WIN SOME BIG MONEY. BUT THERE'S ANOTHER SIDE TO THE COIN. DEPRESSION, STRESS, SUICIDE AND CRIME. IN THE SECOND PART OF HER FEATURE SERIES, NEWSWATCH'S HEATHER BUTTS LOOKS AT GAMBLING ADDICTIONS AND SOCIAL ISSUES THAT COME WITH CASINOS.

FOR MOST PEOPLE,GAMBLING IS A GREAT SOURCE OF ENTERTAINMENT. BUT  THERE'S A DARK SIDE THAT GOES WITH IT. EXPERTS SAY  FIVE PERCENT OF THE ONTARIO POPULATION EXPERIENCE MODERATE TO SEVERE GAMBLING PROBLEMS. IN KINGSTON, THAT EQUALS ALMOST SIX THOUSAND PEOPLE.

"GAMBLING TO MY LIFE HAS DESTROYED 4 RELATIONSHIPS AND EVERYONE IN THOSE RELATIONSHIPS."

MEET JAMES. THAT'S NOT HIS REAL NAME. HE WANTED TO KEEP HIS IDENTITY A SECRET, WHILE SPEAKING TO US ABOUT HIS GAMBLING ADDICTION.

"THE MOST I EVER WON IN ONE MONTH, I WAS THERE NINE TIMES, I HAD NINE WINNING DAYS I HAD 30 THOUSAND I HAD AT HOME IN A SAFE.

30 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN A SAFE... I SAID TO MY WIFE WHAT THE HELL DO WE DO NOW.... 2 MONTHS LATER I WAS BROKE."

WHAT STARTED WITH A 2 DOLLAR BET AT THE HORSE TRACK, TURNED INTO A 45 YEAR GAMBLING ADDICTION.  JAMES PLAYED BLACK JACK, MOVED ON TO RUSSIAN ROULETTE, AND THEN DICE. ... PLAYING AT SOME OF THE BIGGEST CASINO'S AROUND THE WORLD. JAMES SAYS A SIMPLE PAST-TIME CONSUMED HIS LIFE... AND EVERYONE IN IT. 

IT DOESN'T JUST DESTROY YOUR WIFE, IT DESTROYS YOUR KIDS, THE PARENTS, THE GRANDPARENTS."

AFTER YEARS OF RUINED RELATIONSHIPS -- EVEN LIVING OUT OF HIS CAR IN THE GARAGE OF A CASINO FOR 2 MONTHS -- JAMES TURNED TO STEALING TO PAY FOR HIS HABIT. IN WAS IN JAIL WHERE JAMES FINALLY GOT THE HELP HE NEEDED.... THROUGH GAMBLING COUNSELLOR CHRIS MYERS.

"PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO SPEND MORE AND MORE TIME AT A CASINO, UPWARDS TO 20 HOURS.... IN ONE SITTING."

THE FRONTENAC COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION SERVICES HELPS ABOUT 800 PROBLEM GAMBLERS A YEAR. AND MYERS PREDICTS ADDICTION RATES WILL RISE IN KINGSTON IF A CASINO MOVES IN.

"IF IT IS ON OUR BACK DOOR, IT'S GOING TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE. AND WHEN WE LOOK AT PROBLEMS BEING DEVELOPED, ACCESSIBILITY HAS A LARGE PLAY IN IT. AVAILABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY."

"MYERS PREDICTS HIS ASSOCIATION WON'T BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE INCREASED NUMBER OF PEOPLE SEEKING HELP. THE MAYOR AGREES THE CITY WILL HAVE TO CHIP IN.... USING SOME OF THE PROFITS IT WOULD GET FROM SLOT MACHINES."

"FACTOR IN THE FINANCIAL INCREASE THAT WE WILL HAVE, AND THEREFORE MORE MONEY IN ORDER TO FUND THESE PROGRAMS."

MANY RESIDENTS, LIKE THOSE WHO SHOWED UP AT THIS MEETING LAST SUMMER, ALSO WORRY THAT CASINOS WILL BREED MORE CRIME. NOT SO, ACCORDING STANLEY SADINSKY ... A RETIRED LAW PROFESSOR WHO HAS STUDIED THE ISSUE. 

" IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE SECURITY THAT IS CONNECTED TO CASINOS AND TO THE AREA AROUND THE CASINO IS VERY STRONG AND THOROUGH AND TENDS TO DISCOURAGE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY."

AS KINGSTON PURSUES A CASINO, THIS RECOVERING GAMBLING ADDICT HOPES CASUAL PLAYERS DON'T FALL INTO THE SAME DOWNWARD SPIRAL AS HE DID. JAMES SAYS THE COMPULSION TO WIN IS MORE ADDICTIVE THAN ALCOHOL OR DRUGS.

" THE PROBLEM WITH GAMBLING IS IT DOESN'T KILL YOU. IT KILLS EVERY THOUGHT YOU HAVE IN YOUR HEAD FOR SANITY..... BUT IT LEAVES YOU ALIVE."

HEATHER BUTTS, CKWS NEWSWATCH, KINGSTON