Issue 2 |
|
|
What Happens When You Have a Gambling Problem?
Click here to read Amanda's previous
Feature Article, How Kids Can First
Get Hooked on Gambling. We all know what gambling is and how it is so addictive, but do you know what it can do to you? It doesn't only affect you; it affects your friends, your family, and the people around you too. Most teens are not compulsive gamblers. Compulsive gambling is when a person is addicted to gambling. To compulsive gamblers, gambling is not an ordinary game. Kids who become compulsive gamblers are usually smart, highly competitive, and risk takers. There are three phases for the development of compulsive gambling... The Winning Phase The winning phase is the thrill of gambling. It is the fun and exiting time where you think you know your going to win. If I can win once I can win again or if I can win on my 2nd shot, my percentage of winning is 50%! These things are some of the things that rush through a persons mind when they win. This phase is the one that puts you on the bandwagon. My friend's mother gave her 6 year old daughter a scratch off lottery ticket, her daughter showed a lot of excitement just by trying to win something. The Losing Phase The losing phase is the start of the downward spiral. The gambler has to borrow money to gamble. A loss of the extra money means no going to the mall or hanging out with your friends. They may start avoiding the people that borrowed money to them. Now they are "in the hole", betting on credit. They start to sell their belongings. I think people can recover from here because they realize what they are doing. But the people that don't can start missing classes from school, and start missing assignments.
Gambling especially affects the family and certainly effects friends too. Gambling can draw the gambler away from their family and friends in almost every way possible. They start lying to their family and friends, then do things that he or she normally wouldn't ever do like stealing their family's or friends' possessions for money and lying to them. The gambling can get worse and go into a deeper phase and the gambler feels hopeless and like running away or committing suicide. If someone you know says these things, take him or her seriously. This is a point for the gambler to ask for help. Attention Readers: These are the opinions of the Junior Editor. Send your thoughts on this topic to wannabet@wannabet.org !
Educator’s Note: For further details and research on this topic, see the following books and articles: Fisher, S. (1993). Gambling and pathological gambling in adolescents. Journal of Gambling Studies, 9, 277-288. Fisher, S., & Bellringer, P. (Date unknown). The young fruit machine player. London: UK Forum on Young People & Gambling. Graham, J. (1988). Amusement machines dependency and delinquency. Home Office Research Study 101. London: HMSO. Griffiths, M. (1990). Addiction to fruit machines: A preliminary study among young males. Journal of Gambling Studies, 6, 113-126. Griffiths, M. (1993). Fruit machine addiction in adolescence: A case study. Journal of Gambling Studies, 9, 387-399. Griffiths, J. M. (1991). Adolescent fruit machine use: A review of current issues and trends. UK Forum on Young People & Gambling Newsletter, 4, 2-3. Gupta, R., Derevensky, J. L., & Della Cioppa, G. (1994, June). The relationships between gambling and video-game playing behavior in children. Paper presented at the Ninth International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking. Las Vegas, NV. ©1998, MCCG, NATI. Not to be reproduced for commercial use. |
The Desperation Phase The desperation phase in gambling
is when gambling becomes a true obsession. This is when the term compulsive
gambling comes in, at this stage young people would do almost any thing to
gamble. They would even do things that would ruin his/her life. They would lie,
cheat, and even steal. Even to their family. They may stay out late, not coming
home at night. They're not only missing school and schoolwork but also start
failing school all together.