Gambling's allure can turn tables on teens

Celebrity poker tournaments, multimillion-dollar tournament winners and the relentless rise of the Internet have made gambling easier and more glamorous than ever for Washington teenagers, and they are more than twice as likely to have problems with gambling as adults.

Concern about the damage caused by teenage gambling isn't as popular as Texas Hold 'Em, but it is edging into the national and state consciousness with advertising campaigns, new treatment programs and most recently a Seattle conference this week.

Most teenagers didn't steal the family's mortgage payment to cover their gaming losses, but as many as 44,000 of the state's teenagers either have a gambling problem or are at risk, according to a 1999 study, "Gambling and Problem Gambling in Washington State."

The Internet was also partly responsible for the fact that nearly 70 percent of Washington teenagers gambled in the last year of the 1999 study, which covered the years 1992 through 1998.

This year the gambling resurgence gained the attention of Washington policymakers. They are considering legislation that would temporarily strip minors of their driver's license if they were caught gambling. The bill is in the state Senate.

"It's just like anything else that becomes obsessive, they start stealing and borrowing from friends and selling the things they love," said Christine Sogn, who runs the new Youth Eastside Services Teen Problem Gambling program. It "can explode once they get into college or a job because now they have" money.

Only last fall, Bellevue-based Eastside Youth Services opened what it says is Washington's only certified youth gambling-treatment program.

Sogn, a veteran substance-abuse counselor, recalled one teenager who stole $2,000 from his parents, then blew it at a nearby casino.

His problem began when he started playing Texas Hold 'Em while still in middle school, according to Sogn.

The young man has tried and left treatment, but Sogn hasn't reached many others because she says teachers, parents and school administrators are reluctant to discuss the issue.

"It's because it's always been considered a safe thing to do," Sogn said.

For many teenagers gambling appears relatively safe. Most high school students can visit a casino night, scratch off a lottery ticket or even play poker in a friend's basement without becoming obsessed.

But, 7.5 percent of teenagers are at risk of developing a gambling problem, and just under 1 percent are considered problem gamblers, according to the 1999 study, the most recent data available according to the Washington State Council on Problem Gambling.

Other studies have indicated that those kids who gamble are more likely to drink, carry a gun and fight.

The subtler risk is that teenage gambling may lay the foundation for problem gambling in adulthood, when players have a lot more to lose, including houses, jobs and families, experts suggest.

The issue, however, puts parents in the difficult position of scrutinizing behavior that is often socially acceptable.

Sogn urges parents to watch for warning signs in their children, such as carrying a lot of cash, sudden urgency for money, and selling prized possessions.

In Shelton, Kelsea Larsen has seen many of the sides of gambling. The high school senior remembers playing dice games with her grandmother for pocket change. Later in life she saw the Little Creek Casino pump jobs and money into her town after it opened several years ago.

Yet, Larsen also realizes the damage that gambling can inflict on a community.

"It is a growing problem," Larsen, 17, said. "Hopefully, it won't turn into something wildly out of control."

SIGNS OF TROUBLE

If you are worried about teenage gambling, you should watch for the signs of trouble including:

Your child carries a lot of cash or can't explain a sudden need for money.

Money or other valuables are missing from your home.

Your child spends a lot of time online, or intensely watches sporting events.

Your child makes brief late-night telephone calls.

Source: Youth Eastside Services

MORE INFO ON YOUTH GAMBLING

Washington State Council on Problem Gambling, www.wscpg.org, 800-547-6133.

Youth Eastside Services, www.youtheastsideservices.org, 425- 747--4937.