Are Teens Headed For Problem Gambling

I found this artilce this morning by the news.com.au team, it's content specifically bring attention to the over whelming phenomon poker and playing texas holdem has become amongst teens. Here i sthe complete story from this publisher.

Poker luring teens in trap
Verity Edwards
May 28, 2007
POPULARISED by blockbuster movies such as Casino Royale, Texas Hold'Em
tournaments and games around the kitchen table are sparking concerns that poker
could soon rival slot machines as a source of problem gambling.

Studies have shown that one in five high school students is gambling on card games, wanting to emulate players in televised celebrity poker tournaments and Australia's
World Series champion Joe Hachem. Welfare groups including Uniting Care
Wesley fear young men could fall into the trap of gambling vast sums of money in
hotel poker tournaments and in the unregulated home gaming industry.

"They play poker with a mate over a six pack and say 'This is easy, I'm good at
this'," Uniting Care's Mark Henley said. "Then they see celebrity poker and the
next thing you know they're on dodgycasino@vanuatu.com and they're in a bit of
financial strife."

Bond University's Sudhir Kale, who last month chaired the
Gaming Executive Summit Australasia, said hotels were using poker games to lure
young people into venues.
In Sydney alone there are more than 7000 weekly
poker games in pubs in clubs. The Australian Poker League boasts 230,000 members and its rival, the National Poker League, has more than 40,000 players.

"Generally the clientele of the clubs tend to be older people and the poker
games are being used as a drawcard to get younger people into the clubs,"
Associate Professor Kale said. While slot machines attract a female
demographic with an average age above 50, poker's demographic was 75 per cent
male and aged between 18 and 30. South Australian No Pokies MP Nick Xenophon
said the boom in televised Texas Hold'Em competitions and world championships
"opened the gate to a whole new generation of potential gamblers".

I disagree I think people especially parents need to educate themselves and their children on what can be lost. Yes tv does leave a child who is impressionable in the understanding that you win big playing poker, and very rarely do they see a huge loss. They remember how much someone won. So it's up to the parents to teach their kids.

I know this from my own personal experience. This is corny but at 16 (underage to gamble) I was able to buy Nevada tickets. If you dont know what these are they are pull open tickets and if you have three matching symbols you win the prize. Needless to say I was winning consistantly. The prizes were usually $100 here and there. So one day I was early for my after school shift at work and went and played them I blew my entire paycheck ($250)and lost. This taught me a valuable lesson that I will never forget, nor will I ever forget the sickening feeling that I had of wasting that much money on virtually nothing.

I don't blame my parents, and this is not a Dr.Phil issue but I think parents need to teach their kids that you don't always win and there is in fact a risk.

I have an 8 year old daughter, and yes we play home games regulary however she is not included nor is she around. She knows that we play poker and she knows what poker is but she is told it is a game for grow ups. She also knows we play with money, and can lose. I have been trying to teach her what I think is the best approach for learning about this. Now I am not saying I want her to just go and gamble or how to gamble, but I want her to know that it's not all about winnnig. That is the appeal for teens and if you dont prepare them they will likely do what I did. Kids are excited about casinos when they are of age to go, I was when I made my first trip and they eventually will make one to, so why not prepare them for a life lesson as you do with every other improtant issue you teach your children. Isolating them from gambling will only make them want to experience it more.