Online Casino

With the incredible rise of the Internet in the last decade or so and along with it, ever greater access to gambling oriented websites and information sites, fears over the impact gambling is having on teenagers and their naturally curious nature are growing.

To add to these fears is the similarly huge rise in the popularity of poker, especially with television getting in on the act with regards to the major tournaments. So how is this rise in the apparent acceptability of gambling being seen by our teenage population and what is being done to protect them from the effects of all this increased exposure to gambling?

Well to begin with, poker’s image is being transformed by the media in a big way. Gone is the image of the dingy, smoky backroom operation attended by desperate, scruffy and unshaven men who go without sleep for 24 hours at a time and lose all their money, their homes and their families. Recent movies such as Oceans Eleven and Rounders have portrayed poker players as glamorous, macho and very cool customers that are habitual winners in all walks of life. With A list celebrities appearing to endorse poker as a winner’s game with high stakes and huge pots to be won by good looking, wealthy and successful people, its no wonder that more and more teenagers are easily lured into the belief that they can be just like their screen idols.

Many parents see the rise in Internet gambling establishments specializing in poker as a way of ensuring that their teenage sons and daughters are kept safely indoors under their watchful eyes. This is infinitely preferable to them being out and about, potentially getting into trouble with gangs, underage drinking, smoking and drug taking. It is fairly common for many parents of teenagers to view youth gambling, especially that of the online variety in a favourable light as one of a recreational activity that is benign and almost educational. This last point is given credence by the simple fact that modern, hi-tech computers lend an air of intellectual adeptness to their users. A trait that is similarly important in poker players, especially successful ones.

The statistics bear out certain theories about teenage gambling. One recent study claims that around 70% of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 have engaged in gambling. The same study also claims that usage of certain illegal substances such as marijuana and cocaine as well as alcohol and tobacco are believed to be linked significantly with gambling. Thanks to this revelation, politicians and educational leaders alike have been alerted to the connection between the two as being more significant than the actual harm potentially done by the gambling itself and the subsequent need or greater awareness amongst peer groups. 

It is also a statistical fact that around 1% of Americans in any given year do meet the criteria that identifies pathological gamblers. The National Council on Problem Gambling in their annual report defines this as a disorder “characterized by a loss of control over gambling, by increases in gambling frequency, in time spent gambling and in amounts wagered, and by a continuation of gambling in spite of serious, negative consequences.” The report also agrees that those individuals who display problems associated with gambling “are much more likely than others to have problems with drinking, smoking, and drugs.”

The conclusion derived from these suggestions is that young people who are exposed to gambling from a young age are more at risk from being embroiled in that same dangerous cycle of behaviour. A recent government funded report by the National Gambling Impact Study Commission covering the perils of gambling found that 1.1 million teenage Americans of ages 12 to 18 were found to be compulsive gamblers.

So how can the parents of teenagers do their part to help stem the rising tide of problem teenage gamblers? Well, if you allow your teenagers to engage in any form of gambling, especially on the Internet, rather than leave them to their own devices, you should make a point of keeping a high profile watchful eye over their activities and behaviour. There are certain behavioural traits that may confirm the possibility that your child is forming an addiction.

These include:

• Borrowing money from family and friends but not repaying it
• Incurring unexplained debts
• Selling their personal belongings
• An increased tendency to tell lies
• Becoming distracted, anxious and moody
• Becoming depressed
• Uncharacteristically keen interest in the sports scores
• More phone calls from strangers than usual
• Being seen carrying large sums of cash

When it comes to teenage experimentation with new or perceived to be frowned upon activities such as smoking, alcohol or drug taking, these can have varying levels of impact on the person’s life. It is no different with gambling, so if you are concerned about a child or teenager that you believe may be involved in problem or addictive gambling and are not sure how to deal with it, you can visit either of the websites below for additional assistance and information.

http://gamblingandthelaw.com (Gambling and the Law)
http://ncpgambling.org (National Council on Problem Gambling)