Experts are concerned about the high rates of gambling among America’s youth

Gambling addiction in the United States is becoming more serious as calls to control the situation grow. Watchman I spoke with experts who highlighted America’s concerns about vulnerable youth.

Gambling organizations across the United States have noticed an alarming number of teenage and young adult patients seeking help.

New Jersey, which has always been at the forefront when it comes to gambling, is currently dealing with an influx of affected young patients. According to the New Jersey Compulsive Gambling Councilthe number of support requests has doubled since 2018. He also echoed this University of Californiafor which the trend was evaluated.

Many believe that the convenience of mobile gambling has made it very attractive to young people Brad Rudermanthe follower Beit teshuva The Los Angeles treatment center notes that this will be the first generation to grow up with mobile gambling.

Keith Whitethe National Council on Problem Gambling The CEO asked a room of 40 17-year-olds in Virginia how many people have sports betting apps on their phones. Thirty-six boys admitted to having one, supporting Tshuvah’s claim.

Experts believe that young people, whose brains are still developing, may be more vulnerable to gambling scams to attract customers.

Ernie WexlerThe advisor fears that America may be “killing its youth.”

The situation is bad but not hopeless

Rick BensonFounder The buffalo A treatment center in Goodyear, Arizona, believes America may be headed toward a “gambling addiction quagmire, if not a crisis.” He said that the continuous betting opportunities offered by local mobile operators are simply very convenient.

Another aspect is commercial and peer pressure, Shekhar Saxenaformer director of from, Believes. He pointed out that young people easily influence each other, which exacerbates the problem.

For reference, in 2018, only 11.5% of people who contacted gambling support services in New Jersey admitted they were under 25 years old. During the first ten months of 2023, this number rose to 19.6%.

Fortunately, the younger generation is more likely to seek help, according to the co-director of the Gambling Studies Program at UCLA. Timothy Fong. The stigma among them is not serious, which suggests that there may be hope for resolving the problem.

The Guardian newspaper also spoke with Amanda BlackfordDirector of Operations and Problem Gambling Services at Ohio Casino Control Commission. Commenting on the increasing rates of harm that have followed the recent legislation of sports betting, Blackford said problem gambling will always be there, so it is important to help as many people as possible.

Many believe that stricter regulations are needed

Meanwhile, calls have grown for better regulation of the sports betting sector. While many states now offer gambling, some believe that few are adequately involved in protecting customers.

Felicia GrondinExecutive Director of Compulsive gambling council, is one of many supporters of restrictions on gambling advertising. Advertising has already been talked about so much in other modern markets that many believe exposure to it causes more harm.

Global Health Organization SaxenaOn the other hand, he said that operators themselves should not exploit consumers’ vulnerabilities. Saxena believes that allowing customers to choose how often to bet and how much to bet is not enough.

However, the industry claims that the vast majority of consumers are betting safely. According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), legal operators offer a number of important safeguards to keep players safe.

On the other hand, over-regulation threatens to steer people toward the black market, which offers few, if any, of these safety measures. He urged the AGA to conduct more research before embarking on over-regulation.