State officials, legislators and the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling criticized on Tuesday a bill recently passed by the State Senate allowing the installation of slot machines at horse and dog tracks.

The criticism came at the State House, where opponents of the bill warned against the dangers of compulsive gambling and cited the need to help gambling addicts.

The senate passed the bill by a veto-proof margin, with its proponents citing job creation and a potential $350 million in state revenue as reasons to vote for it. However, according to a report in The Boston Globe, lobbyists for the racing industry have contributed thousands of dollars to state senators but dismiss any notion that they influenced the outcome of the vote.

The gambling council released the findings of a recent survey that found that nearly one-fourth of Massachusetts residents personally know someone who has had a gambling problem. Nearly half of Massachusetts residents think compulsive gambling is a serious problem.

“The survey has helped the council to see how gambling problems are perceived in the Commonwealth and plan for future awareness efforts, as well as to identify the target areas to focus its message,” said Kathleen Scanlan, executive director of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling.

Michael Botticelli, assistant commissioner for Substance Abuse Services at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, said that gambling can be a dangerous, addictive habit.

“Addictive disorders are all the same,” Botticelli said. “While gambling may be safe for some, it is not for others. We need to increase understanding that treatment works and is available.”

Botticelli also said compulsive gambling is a family disease and a community disease, and that “we all pay the price” for addicted gamblers.

Recovering gambler Ed Talbot, who spoke about the detrimental effects of compulsive gambling, described how gambling at local dog and horse tracks affected his personal life.

“I was taking money from household expenses, but the money from the track did not go home,” Talbot said, adding that his addiction eventually led to a divorce.

Talbot said he placed his last bet in November 1977. After losing everything on a dog named Perfect Treasure, Talbot said he contemplated suicide after, but did not want to abandon his daughter. Since then, he said, he has reconciled with his daughter and has helped raise awareness about the problems of gambling.

And many legislators said they were ready to join him.

“Gambling is an industry that makes money by other people losing,” Rep. Daniel Bosley (D-North Adams) said, adding that the state should not profit from people who lose thousands of dollars through gambling.

Bosley said he did not think there would be enough votes to pass the bill in the House of Representatives.

Sen. Susan Tucker (D-Lawrence) said promoting gambling would be the same as promoting smoking, because tax revenue from cigarette sales also increase state revenue.

“In the end, [expanding gambling] isn’t going to bring in revenue for the Commonwealth,” she said.

Tucker described slot machines as “convenience gambling” and said they add “tremendously” to addiction rates.

State Treasurer Timothy Cahill attended the meeting and said he was working as a partner with the council to help people with gambling problems.