|
|
|
|
|
|
TEEN SOUL POWER
GAMBLING
Don't Bet Your Life on It !!!
Don't Bet Your Life on It !!!
“Gambling is the fastest growing addiction among teens.”
- National Gambling Impact Study Commission
|
Ross was only a sophomore in high school when he started betting on video games. Almost overnight, he became a full-fledged gambling addict with $30,000 in debts. "I started gambling on whatever I could get my hands on," said the teen. "I was always gambling and losing. I was always chasing that bet." Ross got hooked on serious gambling in his senior year of high school. After the previous two years of betting on video and sports games with classmates, he got a bookie during college basketball's end-of-season "March Madness." "That was really money, I thought, so that was so exciting for me," he remembered. "I won, but $1,000 wasn't enough. So then I would gamble thousands on a game. I became greedy." The now 19-year-old is currently in recovery in Gamblers Anonymous. But his story of adolescent addiction to gambling has become alarmingly common. |
|
Gambling is toxic to individuals and to families. It is one of those powerful risk factors that can spread like a cancer – like an epidemic, leaving broken lives, broken families and broken communities in its path. Gambling is always contraindicated if you want a healthy, vibrant family. Gambling leads to many thousands of personal bankruptcies each year, to lost homes, broken families, and to a dramatic increase in crime including embezzlement at business and industry. It is strongly correlated with mental illness including anxiety disorders, depression, nervous disorders and suicide, and is associated with a rise in alcohol and drug use and abuse. Throughout the country there are over 10 million problem gamblers, and hundreds of thousands of families that have suffered from the disease of compulsive gambling. Last year gamblers lost over $140 billion in gambling. $140 Billion! And studies show that most of those loses were by those who can afford it the least - youth, senior citizens, the poor or those on a fixed income. Increasingly there are findings of the negative results on families. Gambling is often called the “Hidden Epidemic” because it is a Family Disease where one Compulsive Gambler can seriously affect the spouses, children, parents, and friends of the problem gambler -- in fact, from 5-to-15 other family members and friends who, themselves, become lost in the disease. The ultimate cost in broken families, disintegrated communities, and a weaker society from gambling never even comes close to justifying it to be legal as a means to raise money for the government. |
FAST FACTS
o Gambling is spreading among teens. One expert stated that within ten years, "gambling will be to teenagers what alcohol and drugs are today."
o Each week the Las Vegas Suicide Hotline receives over 2,000 crisis calls!
o Dr. Rachel Volberg, a leading expert on the prevalence of compulsive gambling, demonstrated that that 18-to-21 year-olds are three times as likely to have problems with gambling.
o A Louisiana State expert, Dr. James Westphal, testified that, "although the 18-to-20 year-old age group only comprises 8.2% of the total adult population, that age group makes up 22.5% of total adults with gambling disorders."
o 23 percent of college students report being involved with gambling on a weekly basis, and 5.5 percent of college students are pathological gamblers (University of Michigan study)
o Teenagers become involved with gambling sooner than they become involved with smoking and alcohol (University of Minnesota study.)
According to Youth Gambling International, 18 to 21-year-olds are three times as likely to have problems with gambling as the general population.
o “College Students have the highest rate of pathological and problem gambling among all age groups.” Daniel Nestel (Assistant Director of federal relations for the National Collegiate Athletic Association.)
When researchers initially began to study adolescent gambling, they were looking at “risk factors” which tended to draw youth into problem gambling. They soon learned that the "primary risk factor was the act of gambling itself!" This behavior, and the accessibility and availability of gambling venues, was a primary causative factor for problem gambling for youth.
o According to the Teen Gambling Prevention Project, surveys of problem gamblers find that:
-- teen problem gamblers use tobacco, alcohol and other drugs more than
any other group, and are more likely to engage in other high-risk behavior;
-- and data clearly suggests that pathological gambling leads to criminal
behavior.
o According to Youth Gambling International, the type of gambling activity plays an important role in determining the level of risk for players. Electronic gaming machines have been called the “crack cocaine” of gambling for youth, and are associated with the highest number of gambling problems and capacity to induce impaired control.
Teen problem gambling is the nation's fastest growing teen addiction, and has become a growing public health crisis across the country as a result of increased access of gambling venues and the powerful influence of the heavily promoted gambling industry. Studies consistently show that the earlier the age of exposure, the higher the risk of lifelong addiction and subsequent gambling related disorders.
o Each week the Las Vegas Suicide Hotline receives over 2,000 crisis calls!
o Dr. Rachel Volberg, a leading expert on the prevalence of compulsive gambling, demonstrated that that 18-to-21 year-olds are three times as likely to have problems with gambling.
o A Louisiana State expert, Dr. James Westphal, testified that, "although the 18-to-20 year-old age group only comprises 8.2% of the total adult population, that age group makes up 22.5% of total adults with gambling disorders."
o 23 percent of college students report being involved with gambling on a weekly basis, and 5.5 percent of college students are pathological gamblers (University of Michigan study)
o Teenagers become involved with gambling sooner than they become involved with smoking and alcohol (University of Minnesota study.)
According to Youth Gambling International, 18 to 21-year-olds are three times as likely to have problems with gambling as the general population.
o “College Students have the highest rate of pathological and problem gambling among all age groups.” Daniel Nestel (Assistant Director of federal relations for the National Collegiate Athletic Association.)
When researchers initially began to study adolescent gambling, they were looking at “risk factors” which tended to draw youth into problem gambling. They soon learned that the "primary risk factor was the act of gambling itself!" This behavior, and the accessibility and availability of gambling venues, was a primary causative factor for problem gambling for youth.
o According to the Teen Gambling Prevention Project, surveys of problem gamblers find that:
-- teen problem gamblers use tobacco, alcohol and other drugs more than
any other group, and are more likely to engage in other high-risk behavior;
-- and data clearly suggests that pathological gambling leads to criminal
behavior.
o According to Youth Gambling International, the type of gambling activity plays an important role in determining the level of risk for players. Electronic gaming machines have been called the “crack cocaine” of gambling for youth, and are associated with the highest number of gambling problems and capacity to induce impaired control.
Teen problem gambling is the nation's fastest growing teen addiction, and has become a growing public health crisis across the country as a result of increased access of gambling venues and the powerful influence of the heavily promoted gambling industry. Studies consistently show that the earlier the age of exposure, the higher the risk of lifelong addiction and subsequent gambling related disorders.
GAMBLING and BRAIN CHEMISTRY
|
In summary, teen gambling is a similar addictive behavior such as alcohol and drug abuse. Some 4%-8% of youth have serious gambling problems and 10%-15% of youth are at risk for developing serious problems sometime in the future. The consequences of gambling has been disastrous for thousands of youth, and many more thousands to come.
|
WARNING -- SIDE EFFECTS OF GAMBLING MAY INCLUDE:
Anger, rage, family dysfunction, domestic violence, divorce,
child abuse, clinical depression, suicidal ideation, homicidal behavior,
loss of paycheck, risk of bankruptcy, loss of savings account,
loss of sanity, anxiety problems, panic attacks, withdrawal symptoms,
loss of control, preoccupation, obsession, embezzlement,
white-collar crime, loss of job, imprisonment, tolerance,
inability to stop, broken promises, bad credit, illegal acts, agitation,
lies, health problems, poor credit, bankruptcy, home foreclosures,
sexual performance problems, magical thinking, fantasies of success,
delusions of grandeur, desperation, remorse, guilt, shame,
nervous breakdown, addiction, nightmares, mood changes,
impulsivity, social status and image problems, migraines,
hypertension, insomnia, neurotic dermatitis, phobias,
dependency and cardiac problems.
child abuse, clinical depression, suicidal ideation, homicidal behavior,
loss of paycheck, risk of bankruptcy, loss of savings account,
loss of sanity, anxiety problems, panic attacks, withdrawal symptoms,
loss of control, preoccupation, obsession, embezzlement,
white-collar crime, loss of job, imprisonment, tolerance,
inability to stop, broken promises, bad credit, illegal acts, agitation,
lies, health problems, poor credit, bankruptcy, home foreclosures,
sexual performance problems, magical thinking, fantasies of success,
delusions of grandeur, desperation, remorse, guilt, shame,
nervous breakdown, addiction, nightmares, mood changes,
impulsivity, social status and image problems, migraines,
hypertension, insomnia, neurotic dermatitis, phobias,
dependency and cardiac problems.
MYTHS and FALLACIES ABOUT GAMBLING
Did you ever wonder where some of those superstitions come from....
how a “rabbit’s foot” or “4-leaf clover” or other object can influence
“Lady Luck” (otherwise known as random chance?)
They can’t! Here are some other myths in the gambling world!
how a “rabbit’s foot” or “4-leaf clover” or other object can influence
“Lady Luck” (otherwise known as random chance?)
They can’t! Here are some other myths in the gambling world!
|
“Gambling is a harmless form of entertainment.”
WRONG! The truth is that it can lead an unsuspecting victim into one of the most serious types of addiction, and crime, divorce, bankruptcy, domestic violence, embezzlement, and many mental health problems including depression and suicide - even for family members - have resulted from compulsive gambling. “It doesn’t matter if you lose, if you keep playing you will eventually win your money back.” WRONG! The truth is that the odds are always stacked against you. That is why the casinos and gambling industry makes so much money (over $70 billion last year alone.) No one can beat the laws of probability! “If you are a good video player, you will be a good Slot Machine player.” WRONG! Video slots do not require any skill at all. The results are pre-programmed to only return a portion of your money, and in no way are influenced by you. “If you keep track of the previous results, you can figure out what the next results will be.” WRONG! In gambling, each play is an entirely new random event and has absolutely nothing to do with any previous play. “There is nothing wrong with betting online, you can gamble without leaving home.” WRONG! Online gambling of any kind is absolutely the worse.. Internet gambling itself, is one of the fastest growing addictions in the gambling arena, causing incredible problems for both teens and adults. “I’m feeling lucky today.” WRONG! Luck cannot override the laws of probability! “I’m due... I’ll just double my bet.” WRONG! The Martingale technique of doubling your bet is one of the most common misconceptions in the gambling world. Due to the actual mathematical laws, "doubling" simply does not work, and most gamblers have learned that "chasing" through such large bets results in their losing huge sums of money that they never thought they would ever bet. |
THE REAL TRUTH:
Expect to lose…. Loss is the nature of gambling.
REMEMBER:
GAMBLING IS A LOSE-LOSE PROPOSITION…..
DON’T BET YOUR LIFE ON IT!!!!
Expect to lose…. Loss is the nature of gambling.
REMEMBER:
GAMBLING IS A LOSE-LOSE PROPOSITION…..
DON’T BET YOUR LIFE ON IT!!!!
