Teens and Gambling...It really is an addiction...

This is something that has come to my attention in the last couple of weeks and it is something that really worries me...My eldest boy goes late night shopping with his mates on Thursday nights...He goes with his usual mates and they all hang aroung near the food court...One of his mates recently turned 18...Those that live in Australia know that this makes him legal to drink alcohol, buy cigarettes but it also makes him legal to gamble...

The last three Thursdays which is how long he has been 18 he has been buying scratchies...And playing them...The first  Thursdays he told me that he spent $10 dollars on them then he won $30 so he went back and bought $30 worth of them with his winnings...In this lot he purchased he won another $20 so off he went and bought some more...He did not win in that lot...But the urge to do a scratchie was un real he loved them... I said to him then be careful mate they will drag you in...

The second week of him being 18 He spent $50 on them to begin with thinking he will have a better chance of winning and he only won something like $20...He then went back and spent the $20 on scratchies...with that he didn't win a thing...

Well this week he came running up to my car with a handful of 4 dollar scratchies he was soo excited he had won $50 on a scratchie after he had bought $50 dollars worth again...He had then gone back and bought another $50 worth and sat in my car with me and talked while he scratched away...

I was talking to him as he was scratching and he then went on to tell me that he went to the pokies on the weekend and had a win on them...He was so excited about his winning on his gambling...like a little kid with a new toy he was...That is until I asked him how much he put into the machine to win $200...

This young man is an apprentise builder...He works hard for what he gets but he is wasting it all on gambling and that scares me...How can one soo young get so caught up in the world of gambling so quick? Easy....He had a win and he is chasing that one more win...The big one..

Gambling is as much a problem as drinking...It is addictive and can get you even worse than the alcohol can...It makes people desperate for that one more win and the downer it puts them on when they don't win is just like coming down of alot of drugs...

At even 18 a person is still a teenager and gambling can become an addiction...I did something last night when I got home that I thought I would want someone to do for me and I called this boys parents...I told them of the last three weeks and they were worried as the young boy had lied to them about where his money had gone...I think it is better to nip this in the bud when this addiction starts...I am hoping I did the right thing...I know this young mans parents and know how concerned they were by it....

This is my advice to you all...Keep an eye on gambling with your kids...Even if it is just betting between mates on a football game, card game or the horses...Do not let this sort of addiction  overtake your childs life...

Have a great day
Cheers
Angie