Your Kids May Be Betting Their Futures By Acquiring An Early Gambling Habit

Posted January 25, 2007 12:00 pm.

This article is more than 5 years old.

Are your offspring literally gambling with their futures?

Parents are sometimes blissfully unaware of what their kids are doing when they’re out of their sight at school or in the privacy of their rooms on the Internet.

And a new study suggests that ignorance may not be bliss.

The Responsible Gambling Council’s survey shows a third of all teens in Ontario are already into wagering and those numbers could double as they reach their 20s.

The explosion of online and televised poker has fueled part of the problem. Kids see young adults winning thousands or even millions of dollars, becoming not only rich but famous in mere weeks or months.

And many figure they can get in on the action.

“It’s relatively easy to learn, you could play it at home, you can play it with your friends, you can play it online, you can watch it on TV,” explains the Council’s Jon Kelly. “So access is an important feature as well.”

Wagering a few bucks is nothing new, and many kids have a handle on it. While most do it just for fun, a disturbing 20.7 percent bet because they need the money. Another 15.3 admit they were trying to win back cash they lost.

And worst of all, 13 percent say they spend more than they can afford on the pastime.

At least 6.9 percent of young adults between 18 and 24 confess to having a ‘gambling problem’. And 33.2 percent of that age group say they’ve gambled while on drugs or under the influence of alcohol, further impairing their judgment.

And it’s not just the usual suspects

“We found that particularly younger people are also betting on a great number of things,” Kelly warns. “They bet on the outcome of a game. They bet on the outcome of a dare. They bet on something they’re doing on the Internet, like a game they’re playing on the Internet that’s not normally a gambling game. So they’re taking opportunities to bet on things that aren’t normally a gambling opportunity.”

The problem for parents is that it’s often hard to tell there’s a problem until it’s too late.

“Normally, compulsive gamblers don’t look for help until they’ve completely bottomed out, and young people don’t bottom out because they come home to where rent is paid … supper’s on the table,” explains Sol Boxenbaum, a gambling addiction counsellor.

“But it carries forth into later years, when they’re married and they get all the responsibilities, that they end up having to come for help.”

The problem can vary from serious to deadly. Phyllis Vineberg found that out the hard way. Her 25-year-old son Trevor committed suicide in 1995, after years of being addicted to video lottery terminals.

“It’s like a smoker who’s hooked on nicotine or you give somebody crack cocaine: they’re going to get hooked,” she maintains. “We didn’t understand that, we didn’t have the information and parents today don’t have the information either. They’re totally clueless.

“You just have to stand at a lottery booth today and you see people buying tickets with their kids and they think it’s just a game.”

According to the study, here’s how the gambling grind breaks down in terms of popularity with teens:

Poker: 40%
Lottery tickets: 36%
Sports betting: 23%
Shooting dice: 15%
Online gambling: 10%

What about the fact that underage kids aren’t supposed to be able to get into casinos, wager online or even buy lottery tickets?

As anyone who’s ever been a teen knows, there are ways around everything. And it all translates into big bucks.

Ontario Lottery and Gaming sold $2.3 billion worth of tickets in 2004-2005. And this province’s four casinos pulled in nearly $1.6 billion last year.

It’s the lure of easy money that doesn’t really come easily. And Kelly notes there are warning signs.

“They’re looking to gambling as a way to make money that is an alternative to a part-time job. They’re looking also, if they lose, at winning the money back. These two attitudes often underlie a gambling problem both right now, which is some of these people, and later on. If you have an attitude that looks at money this way, you’re setting yourself up for a problem.”

Other things parents should watch out for:

Spending more time or money on gambling than the individual can afford
Finding it difficult to control, stop, or cut down gambling, or feeling irritable when trying to do so
Gambling more in order to win back losses or get out of financial trouble
Thinking that gambling will get under control as soon as there’s a ‘big win’
Borrowing money, selling things, committing (or considering committing) criminal acts in order to get money for gambling
Having unexplained money or new possessions
Having increased debt, unpaid bills, or other financial troubles because of gambling
Often gambling until all of their money is gone
Needing to gamble with larger amounts of money or for longer periods of time in order to get the same feeling of excitement
Experiencing extreme highs from gambling wins and extreme lows from gambling losses
Gambling to escape personal problems or to relieve feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, or other negative emotions
Getting irritated more easily or having less patience when dealing with normal, everyday activities
Feeling guilty about gambling or what happens while gambling
Getting criticized by others for their gambling
Having arguments with friends or family about money and gambling
Refusing to discuss gambling with others or lying to cover it up
Hiding bills, past due notices, winnings, or losses from others
Gambling instead of attending family or other social functions
Neglecting family or household responsibilities because of gambling
Neglecting work or school because of gambling
Neglecting personal needs (e.g., for food, sleep, hygiene) because of gambling
Consistently or always planning holidays where gambling is available
For those who live with the person who may have a problem with their gambling, another sign may include having money or valuables that mysteriously disappear