Reported by Donna Wilson, STATEWIDE Correspondent

The Nebraska lottery began in 1992. It was the last form of gambling Governor Nelson said he would approve. Just this week state lawmakers revisited gambling. Some want to make slot machines and other electronic gaming legal. There's a group of people who, if gambling expands, could put themselves and the state in dire straits. We talked to some compulsive gamblers and the people who help them.
   One recovering gambler took issue when we referred to gambling as "gaming." He said it's not a game to the estimated 5% of people who are addicted to the action. With expanded gambling in Iowa and several other bordering states, Nebraska will have to treat its compulsive gamblers whether or not the state approves more gambling. Those who work with recovering and addicted gamblers say it's just a matter of time before Nebraska's numbers grow. If it's the local card game or crossing the border to play the slots, some say gambling is already Nebraska's problem.
   [Recovering gambler:] "The third one is, don't tempt myself. I just don't go near gambling. I heard Rich talking about it earlier. He said if I go to a gambling joint, I'm going to get juiced. I will get juiced."
   At this Gamblers' Anonymous meeting in southeastern Nebraska, recovering gamblers talk about how they hit rock bottom all because of their compulsion -- gambling.
   [Gambler:] "You're in the million mile stretch with that first step. Thank God you're here."
   It's women, it's men, single people, married, blue collar, and white collar. They're all trying to stay away from the action, but they got here on different paths.
   [Jerry Bauerkemper:] "We've had, I think, two people come in that have played the lottery into bankruptcy. We've had a couple of people come in with keno. We have the vast majority of people coming in with slot machine problems or sports betting."
   Jerry Bauerkemper works for the state Compulsive Gambling Commission. He passes outs the 1% of funds which aids compulsive gamblers. That money comes directly from the lottery, which in Nebraska is the only form of gambling mandated to help gamblers.
   [Donna Wilson:] "Sounds like a catch-22. The State introduces the lottery and the State has to cover the problems that are associated with the lottery."
   [Bauerkemper:] "I agree. It is."
   What about when gambling is feeding the kitty or paying for itself? The lottery was set up for improvements the State might not otherwise be able to cover financially. Almost 50% [49.5%] goes to educational innovation. Another quarter to the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund while 24.5 goes to the Solid Waste Closure and the final 1% to compulsive gamblers, totalling $131,331. So far the folks in charge think the money is well spent.
   [Bauerkemper:] "We're helping them not commit suicide and we're helping them not fraud the insurance company, and we're helping them to not go bankrupt, and we're making them pay back everybody. I think they're getting a lot of bang for their buck.
HR>[Matt Pelzer on the phone:] "How did you get our number, from the keno ticket or where? On the back of the keno ticket? Okay. How bad you stuck, babe? About 10 big ones?
   Matt Pelzer is a recovering gambler himself. For 11 years he's been free from the chance but before then...
   [Pelzer:] "In one 24-hour period, I probably -- through the book maker I probably bet 2 or 3,000 in the course of a day's activities. I wasn't a big better. I wouldn't bet the 10,000 or 20,000 because that was too terrifying for me. It was heavy."
   As a counselor for the Nebraska Council on Compulsive Gambling, Pelzer is alarmed at the rate of calls he's getting. He believes the amount of money Nebraska sets aside to trip up compulsive gambling may not be enough, especially when gambling is sprouting up all around Nebraska.
   [Pelzer:] "We're not a very big state, population-wise but we sure have gambling all around us, you know. Out of the six bordering states, the only one that I can think of that doesn't have any form of real exotic gambling would be Wyoming and Kansas. Missouri's got riverboats. Iowa's got riverboats. South Dakota has stuff up in Deadwood. We're in a real problem there."
   But Nebraska has held the line thus far on expanding gambling. Even as the legislature looks at the issue more seriously, keno, pickles, bingo, and the lottery are the state's only legal forms. But the money to combat all those forms of compulsive gambling only comes from one source of revenue, the lottery. Back to Jerry Bauerkemper who worked with gamblers in Iowa before Nebraska.
   [Bauerkemper:] "With increased gambling opportunity comes increased problems. The state of Iowa had 2.7% problem gamblers in 1989 and they have 6.4% now and the difference is they took on gambling -- they took on additional gambling."
   If one doesn't have compassion, why should the rest of us care about gamblers? Mac McKenzie also counsels gamblers. His organization was one of the first groups to receive a grant to help Nebraska's compulsive gamblers.
   [McKenzie:] "For every dollar of revenue produced by gambling, there's $3 in social costs. Social costs can be: Did they spend the car payment? Did they make their mortgage payment? Do they pay for car insurance?"
   Mac and his staff counsel about half a dozen recovering gamblers. He says they're just learning to deal with a largely hidden problem, but if they're testing their wings, the gambling industry is in full flight. He believes the industry tends to be a public relations machine.
   [McKenzie:] "You don't see advertisements for a certain type of drink with somebody laying in the gutter throwing up on his shoes. You know, you see the fun exciting things."