15. More teens are gambling, and getting addicted to it

By Tom O'Connell

"More adolescents are gambling, and they're more likely than adults to develop problem gambling behaviors," reports Chris Hendry in The Journal of Addiction and Mental Health, published in Toronto. The writer also notes a Harvard study indicating that 3.9 percent of youth from the general population had a gambling problem, versus only 1.6 percent of adults.

In Canada, the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission found that teens were "four times more likely to be at risk of experiencing some problem with their gambling" (23 percent of teens vs. 5.4 percent of adults).

Furthermore, researchers at McGill University reported that 55 percent of adolescents were engaged in gambling activities, with about 4 to 6 percent of them having a serious gambling problem. What kind of betting attracts teens? Public gambling such as lotteries, and private gambling such as sports betting

The stats in the studies vary somewhat, but trends are clear. More than 50 percent of teens seem to be gambling. These teens have a higher percentage of problem gambling than the adult population. They're up to four times as likely to experience problem gambling. And the solution to the problem is elusive.

The trends do not bode well for today's gambling teens. The McGill study also discovered that adult problem gamblers can trace the start of their problem gambling to "between the ages of 10 and 19." So the high number of teens who are now gambling are sure to swell the ranks of problem gamblers as they become older, unless successful prevention programs can be mounted.

There is an effort in Canada to penalize vendors who sell to or cash in winning lotto tickets held by teens. But past experience indicates that prohibition tends to drive popular illegal activities underground. And some experts are not impressed by education programs telling teens they have a slim chance of winning.

The McGill researchers want to develop a prevention program that includes awareness, involvement of school systems, teaching of successful coping skills to head off problematic gambling, and a method designed to move high risk students into an effective treatment program before they arrive in deep trouble.

At The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health a model is now being developed that would provide instruction on the emotional aspects of gambling as well as education about probabilities of winning.

But there is a real problem with all the approaches, says John MacDonald, addiction therapist at the Centre. He explains that teens have an "it-can't-happen-to me" outlook. And he says, "They have a present-oriented mentality, so it's hard to instill in adolescents any thought of long-term negative effect."

Also, he says any strategy aimed at teen gambling will have to deal with the desire teens have "to develop competency and skill to forge a unique identity..." Mastering something such as Black Jack might do that for them. In addition, MacDonald notes, "Gambling may also be a means of dissociating oneself from life's little struggles in lieu of the coping skills possessed by adults."

To add to the challenges of the situation, Roger Horbay, another addiction therapist who works in the Centre's problem gambling service, reports, "We're dealing with the first generation of computer literate adolescents accustomed to playing video games and mastering them, but you can't win these games--not in the long run."

So, as teen gambling escalates, the experts are faced with a daunting challenge. One that will test the wisdom of those who try to prevent vast numbers of teens from falling into the grip of addictive gambling as they move into adult life.

If you wish to explore this subject, address your email to adubey@arf.org at The Centre in Toronto. You may also access the Journal at www.camh.net/journal.

In Massachusetts, contact the Mass. Council on Compulsive Gambling via email at  gambling@aol.com, or call 1-800-426-1234. Or visit www.masscompulsivegambling.org.

- Back -