A survey of New York teenagers has found that close to three quarters of teens in grades 7 to 12 have gambled at least once in the past year. Perhaps more alarmingly, more than 280,000 students are believed to be showing signs of problem gambling, or were at risk for addicted behaviour.
The most common risk behaviours exhibited were stealing, risking relationships, and chasing – the practice of gambling to try to win back money that has been lost.
The survey was conducted by the state office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, and surveyed around 5,800 local students.
Gambling seems to be a hot topic at the moment, with Europe putting pressure on the USA to change online gambling laws, and even Michael Jordan speaking on TV to his sons about gambling - In an interview on NBC's "Today Show," the former basketball star told Matt Lauer, "I want people to understand, gambling is not a bad thing if you do it within the framework of what it's meant to be, which is fun and entertaining."
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