In 1988 only two states had casino gambling on a large scale, compared to 27 states currently. Thirty-seven states now sponsor a lottery, and legal gambling of some sort exists in 48 states. There are an estimated 4 million problem gamblers in the U.S., and the problem is being passed on to the next generation. A Harvard Medical School study showed that between 4.4 and 7.4 percent of youth in their sample met the diagnostic criteria for "pathological gambling," which is two to three times greater than the percentage of the adult population. Several studies indicate an inverse relationship between religious attendance and the risks of problem gambling: the more a person is engaged in religion, the less susceptible they are to problem gambling (Sightings, December 18).

COPYRIGHT 2004 The Christian Century Foundation
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group