Parents Worry That Teens are Getting Hooked on Online Gambling
They start playing free Blackjack or Poker, and then they can't stop
The ease with which teenagers can gamble online may lead to a serious addiction, as one valley family has learned.
Seventeen-year-old Randy first became interested in poker and blackjack, and a year and a half ago when he started watching ESPN's "World Series of Poker". The Orangevale teenager and his friends began playing poker, first for pocket change, and then for $10, $20 and more.
The situation grew serious after Randy and his friends discovered online gaming and in particular, the website Pokerstars.com, where participants can play with make-believe money. It quickly hooked Randy and "it kind of got me wanting to play for real money to see how I do," he recalled.
By simply registering his ATM card and lying about his age, Randy was soon playing against real people for real money. His parents had no idea. "Then one night I came across a piece of paper that had names with dollars on it," said Randy's mother Karla Allen.
When the Allens realized their son was playing for hundreds of dollars, they took control of his bank account and stopped his online gambling activities.
The Allens worry their son hasn't learned that most gamblers lose most of the time. "When it was online it really didn't feel like real money," admitted Randy. "That's the problem I had."
Randy's parents hope gambling won't be a problem for their son when he turns 18 and can legally gamble online. The temptation will be there. There are more than 2,000 gambling websites and the business is estimated to grow by 40 percent this year to nearly $10 billion. Most online gamblers live in the United States.
It is left to parents to monitor their children's Internet usage. Almost all gambling websites are registered overseas so they are immune from federal gambling laws designed to protect underage players.
There may be some tell-tale signs a young person is developing a gambling addiction. Look for mood swings, declining school grades, unaccounted-for or lost money, or extra money and new possessions.
