Northern Light Pediatrics-Newsletter

Gambling Not Always A Safe Bet

Whether it's betting on the Super Bowl, getting a lottery ticket, or tossing in $5 for a round of poker, kids gamble.

Up to 80% of high schoolers reported gambling in the past year, and most are introduced to gambling by their parents or other family members, according to the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University in Montreal.

Gambling, however, isn't the safe thrill many parents think it is. For as many as 2 million children, gambling develops into a problem that can wreak havoc on every aspect of a child's life, from family and friends to schoolwork and finances.

"The problem (of gambling) among youth is often referred to as the hidden addiction," said Jeffrey L. Derevensky, Ph.D., co-director of the center at McGill. "You can't see it in their eyes, and he can't smell in on their breath."

Also, some forms of gaming, such as Internet gambling or betting among friends, are difficult to monitor.

To determine if your child is gambling on a regular basis, keep an eye on whether he is watching a lot of TV gambling shows or whether his money or personal possessions are disappearing. The following may indicate a serious gambling problem:

- preoccupation with gambling and an inability to concentrate
on other activities,
- using lunch money for gambling activities, and
- stealing from or lying to people about gambling.

The best way to protect your child from developing a gambling problem is to talk to him or her about the risks as you would drugs or alcohol, Dr. Derevensky advised.

When it comes to setting limits, parents should understand the risks and then make a decision based on their child, suggested Elizabeth M. George, director of the North American Training Institute (NATI), which specializes in gambling addiction.

"(Parents) need to have at least as close a knowledge of gambling as they have for drugs and alcohol," George said. "Then they will guide their children in a good direction, whatever that might mean for their family."

For more information on problem gambling among youth, contact NATI at www.nati.org or the National Council on Problem Gambling at www.ncpgambling.org or (800) 522-4700.

NATI also has a survey that can be used by teens and parents to determine if gambling is becoming a problem. The survey is available at www.nati.org/TeenPoker.pdf.

-2005 American Academy of Pediatrics, May of 2005