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Gambling Addiction Program in Danger

The high profile nature of Las Vegas made it one of the world's top brands. But there is a dark side to the glitz and glitter. A growing part of the population in Las Vegas has a problem with gambling. Now the people who treat them have a problem.

"You can probably count on your hand and fingers how many qualified people there are to treat problem gambling folks in this state," said Ashley.

He's is one of the people qualified to treat gambling addicts. He runs the UNLV problem gambling treatment program. He helps people for free and also works with veterans who have addictions as a result of the trauma of war.

Budget cuts have eliminated three teaching assistants, cutting the amount of people he has time to help, "It's down to me and one graduate assistant. The irony is we have never had this many people want treatment."

Ashley could have seen three times as many people with his full staff. He says the economy has exploded the need, "When you are desperate, you do more desperate things."

Like turn to gambling, heading down the path of addiction.

The number of veterans who need help also jumped because of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"When you have been traumatized with stress, we know gambling and those types of things can be a stress reliever. It does not change the event, but it changes your perception."

Ashley says that makes veterans more susceptible to a gambling addiction. He wants to expand his UNLV program, but budget cuts made that impossible.

This is close to Ashley's heart. He was in the Army in Vietnam. There was no where for him to turn when he came home in 1971. Finally in 2005, he talked state lawmakers into funding the program.

In the budget cuts, those funds were cut out completely. Only a donation by Harrah's pays for a graduate assistant and keeps the program going.

If you need help with a gambling addiction, or if you want to donate to the program, email professor Larry Ashley.