National Compulsive Gambling Awareness Month

March is Compulsive Gambling Awareness Month. The National Problem With Gambling Council estimates 6.2 million people have a gambling problem in the U.S

Addiction specialists at Duluth Bethel say traits of an addict are similar no matter what the person is dependent on.

“People are trying to fill an unmet need and they are looking for that instant gratification that they are not getting in their life that they are not getting in other areas,” said Sara Niemi, program director at Duluth Bethel.

The first step toward treatment is finding someone you trust to confide in, according to Bethel.

There’s also the Minnesota gambling addiction hotline at 1-800-733-HOPE.