Over the past few months Stop
Gambling Sites have received numerous emails related to teenage
gambling addiction.
With all the new programs on
cable and local television, this negative exposure is affecting
our youth.
I recently found out that my
cousins sons lives breathes and sleeps gambling. Grades at
school are dropping and his future education is now in
question. You ask yourself why? How did this happen? He was
an excellent student, good friends and a promising future.
I decided to give him a call
and find out what’s happening in his life. He knew he was in
trouble but had no where to turn. He never used drugs or
alcohol. Again you ask yourself how did this happen? From
something that was as innocent as watching a poker game on
television to having a hundred dollar plus a week gambling
problem. He had told me that the program seemed to fascinate
him. It gave him a rush that he could win tons and tons of
money. He wanted to buy his girl friend and parents nice
things. It all seemed so innocent to him and next thing he
noticed, he couldn’t win, borrowed money and now owes thousands
of dollars and his life is crumbling. I asked him how he could
gamble with out his parents knowing. He simply told me they
were to busy to notice. He said since I made honor roll, I
didn’t drink or do drugs, they had no concerns. Those were the
only three things they ever cared about. They never even asked
to see my report card, I always had A’s. They let me do what
ever I wanted. They treated me as if I was an adult.
His response was amazing to
me. I realized more education is needed for both the parents of
a teenage gambler and possible parents of future teenage
gamblers. The goal here is to educate all parents.
No one
wants to take action when it comes to the violent video games or
the new poker television shows so our society will have to pay
the price again. When I was a teenager gambling wasn’t on the
television, Pac Man was the preferred video game and drugs was
the number one topic at school
