17. Gambling challenges society in many ways

By Tom O'Connell

"Hey, what's the problem if I'm gambling a little too much, huh? Who am I hurting? It's better than being a drunk or a junkie, right?" A rose is a rose, and addiction is addiction. Roses come with thorns, and addictions comes with thorny consequences.

In a recent newsletter, the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling (MCCG) offered a thought-provoking editorial on the "Social Cost to Gambling." The consequences associated with betting include "economic dislocations, bankruptcy, homes lost, car loans defaulted, children's tuition gambled away, battering, abandonment..." Sounds like the other addictions, doesn't it?

MCCG says widespread gambling is eroding traditional values. "Gambling tells our young people, why study? Take a chance; you might win and then you won't need that college scholarship. Why work, gambling asks. Take a chance and win instant success. Why save? Take a chance and have a golden retirement."

According to this not-for-profit organization, "Gambling tends to undermine the social fabric and it is evident that  it sells hope and dreams based on fantasy to those who need hope the most: the poor, and low income working people."

Historically, gambling was outlawed in most states for a long time, except for certain kinds of races, and bingo. But once the state lottery broke the ice, gambling became legitimate at the neighborhood level. Convenience stores became gambling centers, so now if you want to buy a newspaper or a loaf of bread you'd better have the right change or you'll stand in line behind the gamblers desperately looking for the big hit.

MCCG reports that Massachusetts residents will spend nearly $3 billion on legal  gambling this year. Might this money have been spent more wisely? Also, the state will spend millions on advertising to promote the lottery. Gambling is  a growth industry.  

Health problems due to gambling are growing too. At Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Massachusetts, clinic director Arthur Friedman says, "At an alarming frequency, minorities, women and adolescents are engaging in pathological gambling behaviors, manifesting in significant dysfunction in the lives of these high-risk individuals."

Remember how cigarette companies provided free samples to get people hooked? The state mails out free lottery tickets to get people gambling. But when the fantasy of the big win fades and reality returns, losers face the consequences of their betting.

Although gambling may start as a game, it can leap from habit to addiction. Obviously, not all gamblers are compulsive, but for the four or five percent who are, the results are devastating. And then there are the vast numbers of people who, like "problem drinkers," are only classified as "problem gamblers." Their numbers are steadily growing.

But there's some good news. Resources to help with addictive gambling are expanding. And the Mass. Department of Public Health has been establishing regional centers to provide counseling services to compulsive gamblers and their families.

For information on compulsive gambling, and a list of resources available to help deal with the situation, contact the Mass. Council on Compulsive Gambling at 190 High Street, Suite 6, Boston, MA 02110-3031. Call 1-800-426-1234. Website: www.masscompulsivegambling.org.

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