WHY YOU HAVE TO BE ALERT TO WHAT YOUR TEENAGER IS DOING REGARDING GAMBLING
Each year on Super Bowl Sunday, I take a few moments and remind sports parents everywhere about the concerns and dangers of sports gambling – especially when it comes to our teenage kids.
Now, before we begin, I just want to point out and emphasize that I’m NOT in any way trying to pass judgment on gambling and wagering on sports….the simple truth is that gambling has been legalized in something like 30 states in the union – in short, it’s flat-out legal.
And along those same lines, I want to point out and acknowledge that for most people, gambling on a game is no big deal…. In fact, it’s seen as fun and exciting. We all know that.
But for others, gambling can develop into a real problem. It’s an invisible addiction that is recognized medically by the American Psychiatric Association as a disease that can truly ruin people’s lives.
And if you have kids who are growing up as sports fans -- even though they are supposed to at least 21 in most states in order to wager on games -- well, we know that many young people find a way to place bets and wagers on sports.
On this Sports Edge show – as we have done for many years on Super Bowl Sunday – we want to focus on the warning signs that all parents need to know if they think or suspect their son or daughter is having a problem with gambling.
Each year, on this day, where billions of dollars are going to be bet on this one football game, I ask Don from Gamblers Anonymous to come on the show to talk about how parents can pick up on the signs that their kids might be gambling on sports. The Gamblers Anonymous Hotline is 855-222-5542 Or go to GamblersAnonymous.org.
As you’ll hear, Don started gambling when he was a young teenager, and he knew by the time he was 30, he needed to get help to turn his life around. The world of gambling has changed dramatically since Don was a kid, but the issue has only become more complicated for today’s Moms and Dads. Here’s the podcast: https://www.audacy.com/podcasts/rick-wolff-the-sports-edge-209/the-sports-edge-with-rick-wolff-1245388436