Upping the Ante: Stakes Are High for Young Adults Playing Poker

by Carrie Anton

You take gambles every day. Changing jobs because you can't see eye to eye with your boss, buying a used car vs. a new car to save on monthly payments, and trying a new dish instead of your usual at a local restaurant are all examples of gambles made day in and day out. That's because gambling, at its core, is simply about taking chances by putting something at stake.

Gambling becomes a problem when the stakes get too high and the gambler no longer has control. This type of gambling falls outside the realm of normal daily decisions in life. This form of gambling--which may involve wagering at the racetrack, purchasing lottery tickets, playing slots, or betting on sporting events--is both physically and financially dangerous. Still, the number of American adult gamblers is growing each year. And teenagers and college students are fast to follow that trend.

Young adult gambling on the rise

The game of choice for young adults these days is a form of poker called Texas Hold'em. It's easy to see why more and more are getting hooked.

Turn on cable TV, and you'll be inundated with shows such as Celebrity Poker Showdown, The World Series of Poker, The World Poker Tour, and Hollywood Hold'em.

"Television shows are glamorizing the game of poker without taking responsibility," says Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, Washington, D.C. "Responsible messaging such as public service announcements, warnings about the dangers of gambling, and help lines rarely are present during the broadcasting of these shows."

While many of the celebrity-based shows benefit charities, the serious tournament shows, featuring professional players, have big money on the table. And like most professionals, they make winning millions look easy.

The game becomes even more attractive when you consider how simple it is to get started. Teens and college students just need a deck of cards, some poker chips, and a few buddies.

Can't come up with that? Just go online.

Gone are the days of having to travel to Las Vegas and Atlantic City, N.J., to place a bet. On the Web, it's bumper-to-bumper traffic headed straight toward virtual forms of Lost Wages. According to the Illinois Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Other Drug, and Violence Prevention, there were more than 2,000 gambling Web sites as of 2003 taking in more than $4 billion annually. And unlike gambling in casinos, online gambling isn't hard to do when you're underage.

Social acceptance

Gambling is popular at colleges all across the nation, even though there are few statistics on just how many students take part in these activities. That's because on-campus gambling--via poker games, online betting, and sports wagers, to name a few--is sort of like jaywalking.

"A lot of people do it, there is no prosecution, and there is no enforcement of the law," says Tim Otteman, professor of recreation, parks, and leisure services at Central Michigan University.

During a recent sports history class, where Prof. Otteman focused partly on gambling's influence on sports, he made a bet of his own to show gambling's prevalence on campus. "I have about 27 students in my class, most of whom live in the dorms," he says. "I bet each student 10 extra credit points that he or she could find a bookie within three phone calls to friends." At the next class, a student came in with an ominous look on his face: It took him only one call to find a bookie, which led straight to his roommate.

And it doesn't stop at colleges. For high-school students, gambling is happening in their parents' basements--with their parents' permission. Unlike drug use or underage drinking, gambling is more widely accepted. In fact, some go so far as to say there are benefits, both socially and academically, to gambling, which they believe makes it safe.

Whyte acknowledges that gambling may have some benefits, but these must be balanced against the risks of addiction, especially for youth. "We need far more education and awareness to help parents and kids make healthy, informed choices about gambling," he says.

Gambling can be a disease

Despite the rising social acceptance, problem gambling still is cause for concern. As with most substances, the earlier a person starts, the more likely he or she will develop an addiction. Gambling is no different, because it's like any other addiction, be it shopping, food, drugs, or alcohol. The only difference is that money is the substance a gambler abuses.

Young adults may not have access to large amounts of money, but they use what is available by running up credit card debt and selling property. The resulting damaged credit history puts them at future risk when buying cars or houses or financing their education. As gamblers begin to hit bottom they will beg, borrow, and steal to make their next bet. The younger these patterns begin, the harder it will be to regain financial stability and credibility.

"Gamblers twist their thinking," says Whyte. "Many believe they have a gambling problem when they are out of money. To fix the problem, they gamble more in hopes of winning the money back."

October 24, 2005