Current Events: You bet your life!: America's gambling binge draws sharp criticism

DENVER, Colo.--Paul looks and sounds like an all-American high-school kid. He gets good grades, plays sports, and has lots of friends. He has a ready smile for everyone in and out of school.

But appearances can be deceiving. Paul, you see, is an addict. No, he's not addicted to drags or alcohol or cigarettes. He's addicted to gambling. At age 17, he straggles daily to resist the temptation to take all his money and bet it--on anything.

It started in eighth grade when Paul and his friends began flipping quarters after school for fun. Though most of his friends just enjoyed the fun, Paul became obsessed. When he won, he felt on top of the world. When he lost, he only wanted to play again--till he won.

By ninth grade, Paul was betting heavily, mostly on sports. He lost more than he won. To pay his debts, he sold his stereo and video games, then stole from his parents. By the time he was in 11th grade, his gambling habit had become so bad that he broke into a house to steal what he could to pay his debts.

He was arrested and tried. As part of his punishment, the judge required him to join Gamblers Anonymous (GA), an organization for gambling addicts.

Addicted Teens Growing

Do you know someone like Paul? According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, the number of teens addicted to gambling is rapidly increasing.

"In any given classroom of 30 kids," says Durand Jacobs, a top authority on teenage gambling, "two or three are having serious gambling-related problems."

What's the cause? Most experts blame the rise in the number of teens addicted to gambling to the rapid increase in legalized gambling across the nation. Today's teens grow up in a society that seems to be hooked on all forms of gambling--from state lotteries to casinos to heavy betting on football games and other sports events.

In 1970, only one state--Nevada--had legalized gambling. Today, 48 states have some form of legalized gambling--from lotteries to casinos. Only Utah and Hawaii do not allow some form of legalized gambling. Thirty-seven states operate lotteries; 21 allow casino or riverboat gambling, 19 allow gambling on Native American reservations.

"This country," says a critic of casinos, "is on a gambling binge."

Why the Growth?

Why the growth in gambling? Many states and local areas believe that gambling is good for the economy. Lotteries provide billions of dollars in money for states to spend on needed programs, such as education. Without lotteries, states would have to increase taxes (which no one likes) to get the money. Cities see casinos as ways of providing jobs and boosting the economy by bringing in tourists and free-spending gamblers. Many Native American reservations have legalized gambling to improve the economic condition of Native American tribes.

But a growing number of critics point out that the social costs of this huge growth in gambling may outweigh the benefits. Tom Grey, a minister who heads the National Coalition Against Gambling, argues that "Local and state governments think [legalized gambling] is a painless way to get out of their problems, but it's a lie. Gambling is a carnival that never leaves town."

Grey and others point to statistics showing that not only teens--but all age groups in society--show an increase in the number of people becoming addicted to gambling.

Many of those who get hooked on gambling are those who can least afford it. According to one profile, the average age of hardcore gamblers is between 50 and 70 years old and has an average income of $20,000 per year.

"It's a tragedy," says Grey. "What we've found is that it's mostly poor people and the elderly who are gambling."

Cosino Officials Speak Out

Casino officials acknowledge that perhaps as many as 15 percent of all gamblers, may develop a gambling problem. But, they argue, that is no reason to condemn the whole gambling industry. Many casinos work with Gamblers Anonymous to help compulsive gamblers beat their addiction. Casinos strongly deny they want to create problem gamblers.

"We're in the business of providing casino entertainment for customers who can manage our experience and not get overwhelmed by it," says Tim Wilmott of Harrah's Casino.

Government Study

Still, critics have alerted U.S. government officials about the dangers of legalized gambling. President Clinton says he opposes the further expansion of gambling in the United States. Both houses of Congress are now considering a bill to create a national commission to study the social and economic impact of gambling on towns and cities.