As casinos proliferate, problem gambling grows in Oklahoma
By The Associated Press
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Published: September 19, 2009
Of all the labels that apply to Jackie Borovetz — wife, mother, grandmother, professional — gambling addict might be the last to come to mind.
But the life of this deputy at the
Muskogee County court clerk’s office, a daughter of a Baptist deacon, began crumbling several years ago as American Indian casinos began popping up across Oklahoma.
"I started gambling when they first brought them into Muskogee,” she said in a telephone interview from federal prison in
Fort Worth,
Texas, where she is serving time for taking nearly $600,000 from the clerk’s office.
"What happened the first time I ever took money from the court, I had gambled my whole paycheck and I had no money.
"I had no clue how much money I’d taken. I was as shocked as anyone else.”
Borovetz is one of a number of state, local and business officials who have been accused of stealing money to pay gambling debts. Experts have reported seeing an increase in the number of residents who are struggling with the problem.
Tribal casinos have grown in size and number since voters in 2004 approved a law expanding tribal gaming.
There are now more than 100 tribal casinos in the state. Four horse racing tracks, the state lottery and even the Internet offer more gaming options.
"Of course the number of problem gamblers is on the rise,” said
Wiley Harwell, executive director of the
Oklahoma Association for Problem & Compulsive Gambling office in
Norman. "Anytime you have casinos, per se, you’re going to have this come along with it. If you’re in the casino business, you’re in the problem gambling business as well. We’re just now seeing our fair share of it.”
Figures from the
Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services show the number of people who called the state’s gambling helpline increased from 627 in fiscal year 2007 to 912 in fiscal year 2009.
The number of people seeking treatment for gambling addiction at a state-funded facility rose from 149 to 350 in the same time period.
The
National Council on Problem Gambling estimates about 8 million people nationally are pathological or problem gamblers, which would translate to about 75,000 people in
Oklahoma, said
Caletta McPherson, deputy commissioner of substance abuse services for the state mental health department.
Harwell said as part of their compacts with the state, tribal casinos provide posters, brochures and training for their employees. He works as a consultant with the tribes and trains workers on the signs and symptoms of the problem gambler.
Bill Lance, chief executive of the
Chickasaw Nation’s commerce division, said the tribe is one of the founders of Harwell’s organization and works to promote a better understanding of gambling problems.
The tribe has 13 facilities that offer gaming, including six that are casinos.
"We want our patrons to enjoy the experience and have fun,” Lance said. "But with that fun comes some responsibility — ours and our patrons — because once a game ceases to be fun, it ceases to be a game.”
Borovetz, 58, said gambling was an escape from pressure at work and in her marriage.
"You could go to these casinos and just punch buttons,” she said. "Before long, I didn’t think about anything else.”
Borovetz, who previously spent 26 years keeping the books at car dealerships, said that during her six-year tenure as deputy court clerk she started spending all of her monthly pay at the casino.
"I think my ex-husband had to bail me out to the tune of $5,000 three times on top of my paycheck,” Borovetz said.
She admitted in federal court earlier this year that she devised a scheme to defraud the state and Muskogee County of $594,230 from November 2007 to September 2008.
Borovetz received terms of 51 months on the federal level and 10 years on the state level.
The sentences are running concurrently,
Muskogee County District Attorney Larry Moore said.
While in prison, Borovetz has missed milestones, including her grandson’s graduation from high school.
"What I’ve done to my family goes so much beyond a dollar sign,” Borovetz said.
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