Online Gambling has become more popular each year and the amount of young kids that gamble through this method is dangerously increasing as well. Kids have watched poker on TV since 2003, and see how much money they are winning and think to themselves that its easy, so why not try it themselves. So, they learn the game of poker and play with their friends. They beat their friends for maybe $5 or $10 and think, let's play this online and then I can really make some money. These guys on TV play online and win money, why can't I.
In an article written by April Spurlock in 2004, she stated that online gambling has skyrocketed. "It went from one online site to over 1400 in less than a year." She went on saying that it's so much easier for kids to play online rather than drive to a casino. They can have the same thrill from their computer at home.
The problem is, it's not so easy as it looks. A person will put money on say a poker site or maybe even sports betting site. They watch sports and pick the winners of the game, so it must be just as easy to make money that way. Let's say for example, they throw $1000 onto two different online websites. $500 on poker and $500 on sports betting. They win some, lose some for a couple weeks. Overall, they are down a little. They try to win it back and bet bigger bets and lose those bets. A few losses later and bigger bets later and all of a sudden, they have NO MONEY. They re-deposit to try and win that money back they lost and now they are BURIED. The problem is with most young people is that they can't stop. It's the thrill of gambling that keeps them into the game. They lost at first, but think they can beat the game. They played stupid at first, but the next time around I will do better.
What most don't realize that this is a wide variety of sports/games that can be bet. This is not good. A person starts betting NFL or MLB games, lose some money and want to win it back before the next game. So, they throw it on maybe a soccer game or tennis match thinking it's a sure win. That "sure win" game loses and again, they are BURIED IN DEEP. Money that has been saved for years slowly decreases and now one finds themselves not paying attention to school work or family. All that matters is making that money back they lose plus maybe even some more.
And once a person gambles to try and win money back they lost, they already lost again. You can't think that way or you will be betting with your head rather than your heart. Yes, those are two TOTALLY different things. Betting smart and with your heart is how smart gamblers play. When you bet with your head, all you are thinking about is making money up that you lost in the past and you bet dumb. This makes you lose even more and eventually you are in way over your head and turn to illegal activites to try and get money to play. A 2006 study has shown that 59% of kids b/t 18-22 that lose money gambling online have lost more than $20,000.
And where do these kids come up with $20,000?? Loan sharks, bookies, stealing. However these kids get the money, most times it's by illegal activites such as a loan shark or stealing. And they are only doing this to gamble it back and try and win back the money. It's a never ending cycle until 1 of 2 things happen. You end up in jail, or you end up DEAD because you couldn't pay back the loan shark you borrowed money from and he sent someone to kill you or rough you up.
Online gambling is a DANGEROUS way that many teens lose all their money. Not only is it illegal but a way to ruin your life. You should only play if you have good money management skills and can handle the ups and downs.
Society needs to know about this because it could be affecting your own friends and family members. If you have a friend that you feel is having problems with gambling, you should get help IMMEDIATELY. Don't let the situation esculate into something they can't control. The first step in dealing with a gambling problem or any problem is admitting. Most will admit they have a problem, but will also say they have it under control, when in reality they don't. Stop the problem before something bad happens and your friend ends up DEAD due to debt or in jail.
