TEENAGE ATHLETES AND THE LURE OF SPORTS GAMBLING
Today is Super Bowl Sunday, and in what has become a Sports Edge annual tradition, while we want everyone to enjoy the big day of NFL football, we also want to help give sports parents a strong warning that they need to be aware of their kids wagering on the big game.
For close to 20 years, each Super Bowl Sunday, I have asked Don R from Gamblers Anonymous to come on the show to talk about this growing issue with underage kids making bets. Close to 40 states in the nation have legalized various forms of sports gambling. In other words, I fully accept that wagering exists, and is legal in most states. That’s a given.
But - and this is important - because it’s well established by the medical community that gambling can become a most addictive disease for a certain percentage of our population, the sooner that sports parents can pinpoint the telltale signs of their kids wagering, the sooner parents can take proactive steps to try and intervene in a positive way.
Gamblers Anonymous Hotline is 855-222-5542. Or go to GamblersAnonymous.org
Look, the simple truth is that we all know that billions of dollars are wagered by college and HS kids who are underage: that’s a real concern. As Don points out on the show, a few years ago kids did their gambling online. But now, they use their cellphones. That makes it even more difficult for parents to keep track of what their kids are doing. Especially if they have a credit card at their disposal.
There are numerous studies that point out that anywhere from 4-7% of our kids -- ages 12-17 - meet one or more criteria of having a serious gambling problem. Again, the legal age to gamble in most states is 21. Another 10-14% are at risk of developing an addiction, which means that they already show signs of losing control over their impulsive gambling behavior.
In short, we’re talking about millions of teenagers running into difficulties with a gambling addiction. I urge you to take a moment to listen to what Don R from Gamblers Anonymous has to offer. Listen here: The Sports Edge with Rick Wolff