P LEVEL 1 - 114 OF 119 STORIES The Associated Press The materials in the AP file were compiled by The Associated Press. These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press. January 6, 1983, Thursday, AM cycle SECTION: Domestic News LENGTH: 425 words HEADLINE: Gamblers Anonymous Growing With Casinos In Northeast BYLINE: By ROBERT WADE, Associated Press Writer DATELINE: ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. BODY: New Jersey's legalized casinos have swelled the ranks of Gamblers Anonymous in the Northeast, with many of the compulsive bettors as young as 14, a spokesman said Thursday. The Associated Press, January 6, 1983 There were about 300 gamblers in the organization in New Jersey three years ago and currently there are 1,280 members, said the spokesman who requested anonymity. "Before the casinos opened in New Jersey, there were 15 regular weekly meetings in New Jersey," he said. "Since the casinos opened, there are 17 additional meetings. "The membership of Gamblers Anonymous in Pennsylvania has doubled, and in New York has gone up over 75 percent. "For anybody who is within a 200-mile radius of New Jersey, it's a big problem." An estimated 10 million compulsive gamblers live in the United States, and about 375,000 of them reside in New Jersey, according to statistics from the National Council of Compulsive Gamblers. But David Gardner, assistant director of the Atlantic City Casino Hotel Association, said those statestics are inflated. He also said he did not believe the relatively new casino industry here was responsible for more compulsive gamblers. The Associated Press, January 6, 1983 "Department stores don't cause cleptomania, bakeries don't cause compulsive overeaters, and casino hotels don't cause compulsive gamblers," he said. But the members of Gamblers Anonymous say figures tell the story and they add that an increasing number of youngsters are playing the games. "We have found that 96 percent of all compulsive gamblers have started gambling before age 14," said Arnold Wexler, vice president of the National Council of Compulsive Gamblers in New York. Last year, from July to November, 58,762 under-age youngsters were refused entrance to the nine casino floors here, said Ben Borowsky, a spokesman for the Casino Control Commission. Another 15,970 were escorted from the casino floors. Marty Rimm, a senior at Atlantic City High School who has written extensively about casino gaming, remembers being thrown out of the casinos when he was caught playing blackjack at age 13. Rimm conducted a survey in April 1981 while associate editor of the high school newspaper, The Viking. He said his survey showed 86 percent of 1,120 The Associated Press, January 6, 1983 students interviewed said they had no trouble entering casinos, and that a quarter of the respondents said they were given complimentary drinks. Wexler said he "knew one kid from Pennsylvania who had $30,000 in credit at the casinos at the age of 18." He said that in another case, Aaron, a 17-year-old, had amassed $34,000 in gambling debts. LANGUAGE: ENGLISH