State Rep. Tom Creighton is betting proposed legislation currently before the House Gaming Oversight Committee will help gamblers keep their pastime from turning into a full-blown addiction.

House Bill 783, which has more than 60 co-sponsors, would require gaming facilities to issue monthly win-loss statements for gambling reward-card users.

"The idea for the bill came when some of us (House Gaming Oversight Committee members) took a tour of some of the casinos in Pennsylvania," Creighton, a Rapho Township Republican, said Thursday. "After a while, you begin to notice people using gambling reward cards. People register for them, and they get perks in return, like free drinks or a complimentary dinner.

"When you use the cards, the casino keeps track of the games the user plays and how much they lost," he said. "So, the idea of sending an accounting statement of what was spent to the user's home seemed like the next step."

Creighton said these statements could provide an "eye-opening experience" for someone who has a serious gambling addiction.

"It could have a tremendous impact on someone who is close to financial ruin," he said.

Some area residents who "gamble for fun," like Rory Anthony of Leola, said the proposed bill sounds more like a "nanny-state" measure.

"I don't know if it would stop someone with a serious problem," Anthony said. "But it might make them feel guilty for a little while. It would be like getting your hand slapped by a parent."

Anthony, 39, said he goes to Philadelphia Park Casino and Racetrack in Bensalem with his brother Gary when they're visiting their parents, who live nearby.

"I'm not sure how many personal problems the government thinks it can solve," Anthony said. "Especially when you're referring to activities that are legal. I think people have to decide to save themselves. Self-reliance is a good thing."

But Creighton said addiction to gambling is a "societal problem."

"People become bankrupt when gambling rules their lives; it can destroy integrity and character and even drives some people to steal," he said. "There's a price society pays when someone crashes."

Lena Rice of Lancaster, who said she visits casinos in Pennsylvania and Maryland once or twice a month, said the bill doesn't sound obtrusive to her.

"It would be like getting a credit card statement, and that's not a big deal," she said.

Creighton said gambling addiction is a serious problem that affects thousands of people across the country, making the bill worthy of support.

"Some people become oblivious to the amount of money they are gambling away until it is too late and they've spent their life savings," he said. "It's my hope that these statements will help eliminate the denial some addicts live in and force them to face the reality of their problem and get the help they need."

He also said the bill isn't intended to punish casual gamblers who are simply having fun on a Saturday night.

"And we're not trying to kill the gambling industry," he said. "We're trying to see that's it's done right."

E-mail: cdifonzo@lnpnews.com