{"id":20899,"date":"2023-12-02T03:04:13","date_gmt":"2023-12-02T09:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/?p=20899"},"modified":"2023-12-02T03:04:18","modified_gmt":"2023-12-02T09:04:18","slug":"were-killing-the-youth-of-america-calls-grow-for-crackdown-on-us-gambling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/?p=20899","title":{"rendered":"\u2018We\u2019re killing the youth of America\u2019: calls grow for crackdown on US gambling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Worries that gambling addiction has spiked in the US as legal sports betting booms have led to calls for increased regulation<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The United States is heading into a \u201cquagmire, if not crisis\u201d of gambling addiction among young people, according to counselors and clinicians \u2013 prompting calls for a regulatory crackdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Treatment clinics are grappling with an influx of patients in their teens and early 20s and helplines are reporting record levels of calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of kids that are gambling,\u201d said Felicia Grondin, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ironically, New Jersey was the state that led the charge for the legalization of sports betting and, in 2018, successfully convinced the supreme court to overturn a decades-old federal law that prohibited the state from legalizing sports betting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Requests for support through New Jersey\u2019s helpline more than doubled over the ensuing years, as the legal market ballooned. Hundreds of calls from concerned relatives each year have heightened fears in the state that problem gambling is sweeping through a new generation. It is not unique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCalls to gambling helplines in most states in America are up, by sheer numbers,\u201d said Timothy Fong, co-director of the gambling studies program at UCLA. \u201cMore and more younger clients\u201d \u2013 aged 25 and under \u2013 are seeking treatment, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arnie Wexler, a counselor, has not seen anything like this before. \u201cWe\u2019re killing the youth of America. It\u2019s gotten crazy. Nobody cares,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gambling gets younger<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Placing a bet in the US has never been easier. Access to legal gambling, once confined to casinos and racetracks, now sits in millions of pockets across the country. Smartphones \u201cmade all avenues available to all people\u201d, said Brad Ruderman, of the Beit T\u2019Shuvah treatment center in Los Angeles, California. \u201cThis is the first generation where this is normal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you are required to be 21 to bet on sports in most states in which it is legal, or 18 to take part in fantasy contests in much of the US, underage activity is a cause of mounting unease. When Keith Whyte, executive director at the National Council on Problem Gambling<\/a>, asked a room of 40 17-year-old boys in Virginia earlier this year how many had a sports betting app on their phone, 36 hands rose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gambling is \u201cgetting to be a younger activity\u201d, Ruderman observed. As brains do not typically finish developing until people reach their mid-20s, those placing bets before this point cannot fully process the associated risks, he said. \u201cThey\u2019re very susceptible to dopamine, endorphin rushes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Algamus treatment facility in Goodyear, Arizona, has seen a \u201cvery significant increase\u201d in patients under 30 who ran into trouble wagering on sports. \u201cIt\u2019s picking up steam as more states legalize,\u201d Rick Benson, its founder, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three decades ago, when Benson was betting, it was only possible between certain hours. The last race of each day was his final opportunity to place a wager at the track before the next afternoon. Today, it\u2019s available around the clock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The US is \u201cheaded into more of a gambling addiction quagmire, if not crisis\u201d, in Benson\u2019s view. \u201cI think there\u2019s no doubt about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shekhar Saxena, former director of the World Health<\/a> Organization\u2019s mental health unit, said younger people are more likely to indulge in gambling \u2013 and operators across the world lean on a mix of both peer and commercial pressure to attract them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe know that young people like to experiment more,\u201d he said. \u201cWe also know that young people are much more in touch with, and influenced by, their peers. And we also know that [\u2026] because of their development stage, their resilience, and the possibility to control their behavior, is a little bit less.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asking for help<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 2018 supreme court ruling changed the game for gambling across the US, leaving it to states to decide whether to legalize sports betting. New Jersey \u2013 which had spent six years fighting for this right \u2013 did so weeks later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen a dramatic increase since sports gambling was legalized,\u201d said Grondin, who leads its compulsive gambling council. There have been consequences. Traffic to its helpline is \u201cjust growing and growing\u201d, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYouth gambling is definitely on the rise,\u201d added Grondin. \u201cWe\u2019re getting more and more calls associated with that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2018, 11.5% of people who contacted New Jersey\u2019s gambling support service and disclosed an age provided one under 25. During the first 10 months of 2023, this bracket accounted for 19.6% of calls, texts or chat messages in which an age was disclosed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As it became more troubled about the prevalence of gambling issues among young people, the council recently launched a preventive schools program designed to reduce risks among children.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fong, at UCLA, described a clear surge in problem gambling cases, but added another reason for more young people calling helplines and seeking treatment: that this generation is \u201cmore likely to reach out\u201d on such issues than its predecessors. \u201cThere\u2019s greater acceptance of gambling, there\u2019s greater acceptance of treatment for gambling, there\u2019s more acceptance of asking for help,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

States urged to take action<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lobbyists fighting for each state to legalize online sports betting put one fact at the heart of many of their campaigns: it\u2019s happening anyway. Tens of billions of dollars are already being wagered illegally each year, they claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But with digital sportsbooks now live and legal in more than two dozen states, the authorized market is far more visible \u2013 and its leading operators are thriving. Americans wagered a record $93.2bn on legal sportsbooks last year, according<\/a> to the industry, which says that cash-strapped states received some $13.5bn in taxes from the wider sector, including land-based sites like casinos, as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concern over problem gambling levels, and the age of those affected, has raised questions about whether legal sports betting platforms are sufficiently regulated. Oversight varies from one state to the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe states need to look at this issue,\u201d argued Wexler, who said he takes about 20 calls each week, mostly from worried relatives. \u201cA couple of years from now gambling is going to overtake alcohol and drugs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grondin pointed to the UK, which she said had \u201caddressed a lot of the issues from a regulatory perspective\u201d, adding: \u201cI think we need to follow [its] lead to a certain degree, because we need to bring those restrictions here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The US should introduce limits on gambling advertising, Gondin suggested, as well as warning labels on gambling platforms. Advertising by the sector has been <\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong>curtailed<\/a> in the UK, although campaigners have argued the curbs are not stringent enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saxena, now professor of the practice of global mental health at Harvard, believes operators worldwide should face tougher rules. \u201cWhat is not understandable, or at least not acceptable, is that they are working in a way to exploit people\u2019s vulnerabilities to make them consume more,\u201d he said. \u201cProducts are more geared towards young people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gambling is often deemed a matter of personal responsibility, with customers choosing how often \u2013 and how much \u2013 they wager. This is true \u201cin theory\u201d, Saxena said. \u201cBut the balance of power here is so much in the hands of commercial entities that they can seduce people into indulging more into that. And they don\u2019t stop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alcohol, which can have serious public health implications, is not regulated like wheat or oil, Saxena noted. \u201cSame thing should be true for gambling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Industry cautions against \u2018over-regulation\u2019<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The American Gaming Association (AGA), which represents gambling operators, said its industry was \u201cone of the most highly regulated\u201d in the US. \u201cLet\u2019s be clear: legal online gaming products are for adults and the vast majority of bettors enjoy gambling as entertainment,\u201dsaid Cait DeBaun, the AGA\u2019s vice-president for strategic communications and responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gambling companies \u201cwork with regulators to prioritize responsible play and raise standards\u201d, DeBaun added, \u201cas we all learn how consumers are engaging in this nascent offering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs our industry has grown, so has attention and money for problem gambling support services,\u201d she said, noting that states have used the taxes from legalized gambling to fund such assistance. \u201cThe same cannot be said for the vast illegal, offshore gambling market that preys on the vulnerable and underaged, offers no consumer protections and pays no taxes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bill Miller, the AGA\u2019s president and CEO, has previously welcomed media coverage of problem gambling. Increased helpline traffic is \u201cnot the full story\u201d, he wrote in USA Today<\/a> in June, citing suggestions that more calls could be the result of greater awareness of the help that is available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association, which represents operators of fantasy sports and sports betting operators, said the sector was already \u201chighly regulated\u201d. In a statement, it noted that platforms have features like player self-exclusion, time-outs and deposit limits to help encourage \u201cresponsible\u201d activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brandon Loeschner, the group\u2019s chair, said more research on the scale and cause of problem gambling \u2013 and the impact of industry initiatives to mitigate it \u2013 was required \u201cto see what is working before we over-regulate\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More must be done to help build understanding of treatments for people diagnosed with gambling addictions \u201csince 75% of those diagnosed also had co-occurring alcohol use disorder\u201d, Loeschner added, citing a study<\/a> conducted between 2011 and 2013 by academics at the University at Buffalo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The search for solutions<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whatever the cause and effect, indications that gambling problems are on the rise have left states across the US scrambling for solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When legal sports betting arrived in Ohio in January, officials were braced for gambling issues to rise. Before its first legal casinos opened their doors in 2012, research commissioned by the state found 0.4% of its people were problem gamblers, and 5.3% were at risk of developing issues; a decade later, the same survey identified a problem gambling rate of 2.8%, with 17% of the population at risk.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe knew that with expansion comes an increased risk,\u201d said Amanda Blackford, director of operations and problem gambling services at the Ohio casino control commission. \u201cWe suspect that, with legalized sports betting, the at-risk category and disorder category will continue to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early signs suggest this suspicion is accurate. Total call traffic to Ohio\u2019s problem gambling helpline was up 38% in October when compared with the same month in 2022. There has also been an uptick in calls to the service from people in their teens and 20s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe goal is always to combat that problem,\u201d said Blackford. \u201cBut we know, looking at history, that it will always exist. So I think, always, the goal is to help anyone that we can \u2013 regardless of who you are, regardless of where you live, what your what your background demographic is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time Out Ohio<\/a>, a state program offering problem gamblers the chance to ban themselves from casinos and racetracks, recently struck a deal with Gamban, a British app that blocks gambling websites, to extend its service across online platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ohio is the first state to strike such a partnership, and offer free access to the app. \u201cIf we are, as a state, going to be benefiting\u201d from gambling\u2019s expansion by collecting taxes from the industry, Blackford said, it is important to make sure \u201cthat we can do so in the safest manner possible for those that we serve\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

theguardian<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Worries that gambling addiction has spiked in the US as legal sports betting booms have led to calls for increased regulation The United States is heading into a \u201cquagmire, if not crisis\u201d of gambling addiction among young people, according to counselors and clinicians \u2013 prompting calls for a regulatory crackdown. Treatment clinics are grappling with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":20900,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[10444,5256,1260,5218,4483],"class_list":["post-20899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-america-2","tag-appeal","tag-fight","tag-kill","tag-young-people"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20899"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20901,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20899\/revisions\/20901"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}