Gambling takes down many young fans

Gambling takes down many young fans

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is betting the odds and gambling with the future of our young people. His recent budget proposal increases the gambling revenue already generated from the numerous state-sponsored gambling venues in our state by $267 million — bringing the grand total of annual gambling revenue in New York to a staggering $3.1 billion. At the same time, he has proposed the elimination of all state funding to the 41 problem gambling-prevention programs that currently exist in our state.

The $2.5 million it would take to reinstate all 41 gambling-prevention programs throughout New York would be a mere fraction of the proposed $267 million in estimated new gambling revenue. In addition, one can hardly put an accurate price tag on the taxpayer costs saved by prevention and education efforts, which ameliorate the overwhelming collateral damage resulting from problem gambling — destruction of families, medical costs, criminal behavior, financial bankruptcies and suicides. The research is clear and strongly correlates an increase in gambling opportunity with a greater risk for the development of addiction.

Spotlight on gambling
Gambling has recently been pushed into the spotlight with Michael Jordan's son tweeting about spending $35,000 in one night at a Nevada strip club and gambling venue. Luckily, there are shows like A&E's "Intervention" and MTV's "True Life" to depict some of the more sobering realities of the compulsive gambler. Most adults and, in particular, parents are surprised to hear that three out of four high school students gamble and up to 20 percent currently have or are at risk of developing a problem with gambling.

Most of us do not think of gambling as having a similar potential for addiction as alcohol and other drugs. But it certainly does and, currently, approximately 1 million New Yorkers have a gambling problem. Sports betting is now the most popular form of gambling among our youth ages 14 to 22. Nearly a quarter of adolescent males bet on sports in an average month. Student athletes are at even greater risk of developing a gambling problem because of their competitive personalities and unreasonable expectations of winning. How do we best focus our efforts to prevent the development of adolescent problem gambling? Education, education, education.