In a study published in Journal of Gambling Studies, gambling problems were discovered to be more common than alcohol problems among adults in the U.S. Dr. John Welte, a national expert on alcohol and gambling pathology at the University of Buffalo, also concluded that problem gambling increases in frequency during adolescence and reaches its highest levels during the 20s and 30s.
Youth
National Survey Shows Casinos, Slots and Lotteries Attract Youth Into an Addictive Habit
This Annenberg National Risk Survey of Youth revealed how severe the problem of gambling has become among America’s youth and the situation has only worsened since. Within the report were several major findings including more young men ages 14 to 17 have tried gambling than cigarette smoking or drinking alcohol and almost nine in ten youth (88%) who gambled weekly in both private and public venues reported one or more problems with their gambling. Although it was not possible to make precise projections of future gambling pathology from these symptoms, the report said, they were indicative of greater risk for gambling problems among youth who gamble regularly.
New York State government report reveals 1 in 5 adolescents facing a gambling problem
New York State government released a stunning report showing 10% of adolescents in the state currently have a gambling problem and an additional 10% currently are at risk for developing a gambling problem. That means over 300,000 adolescents in New York State either have or are at risk of having a serious gambling problem.
Serious Gambling-Related Problems Have Emerged as an Epidemic Among America’s Youth
This report highlights how serious gambling-related problems have emerged as an epidemic among America’s youth. Today, at least one out of every five young people has a serious gambling-related problem, up from one out of every ten in 1988. The prevalence rate of gambling among the young is now 80%, almost double the rate (45%) it was in 1988. A summary of the report can be found below. It was done by Durand F. Jacobs, Ph.D., ABPP Clinical Professor of Medicine (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), Loma Linda University Medical School, California.