Poker, What’s The Risk? Pt. 2
Patrice Walsh (Rochester, NY) 10/26/04 – Poker has recently become extremely popular; adults play weekly poker games and kids are playing in school or at friend’s houses. It’s just a card game, right?
That depends who’s playing. Counselor Ray Scott has worked with teens as young as 16 who were so addicted they were spending their parents household money.
“They can definitely get hooked and run through a lot of money,” said Scott. “Kids are very anxious, there are even bookies in some schools…if kids don’t pay off, they threaten them.”
Scott said it is possible to play the game for harmless fun and not become addicted. It depends on what other problems people have and what their motives are.
He doesn’t think it’s smart for teens to be playing poker unsupervised even if it is just for chips, because he said that can lead to more compulsive gambling with money.
“If you look at most people who develop gambling problems, they started when they were teenagers, or before—it starts for some as harmless gambling,” Scott said.
Whether playing poker on a video machine or at a table, players say it’s the excitement that’s the draw, and of course, the chance to win money.
Some regulars like Justin Villa and Phil Terpolilli don’t think of it as a habit or addiction. They say they know when to stop playing.
Terpolilli said, “We play a lot but we’ve also taken off three weeks, it’s not a big deal.”
Warning signs of compulsive gambling include–missing time from work or school, loss in productivity, failing grades, stealing money to support the habit or running up credit card debt.
The Health Association offers counseling and other programs for problem gamblers. Their helpline number is 1-877-543-7580.
