Gambling addiction is generally associated with middle-aged or elderly men, perhaps even women, but it can affect anyone, even young people.
This is an example that I would like to share with you. I will call this young man Joe for simplicity.
When Joe was in high school, he was not among the most well-known dudes. He spent the majority of his days alone. He had only a few friends, but their relationships were not strong. They were together a bit at school but did not usually come together after the lessons. Joe’s parents were also very busy running a huge business, so they were not often at home.
In summary, Joe spent most of his time on the computer since he was almost always alone.
The advertisement for an online casino caught his attention one day. In a matter of minutes, he registered on the website. However, he had not yet loaded up the account. He was just playing all the games available on the demo account, and his enjoyment of the game was such that he had never experienced such pleasure before, even though he did not play for money. When he won, he was exhilarated and jumped up in delight.
Credit: sereneretreat.my
Ultimately, he decided to upgrade his level of play and put some tens of dollars into his account. He was initially concerned about losing his hard-earned money, but as soon as he multiplied one of his bets, he no longer felt concerned. He enjoyed the thrill of gambling and the idea that he could win a lot of money. His favorite games were slot machines and blackjack.
After some days, the only thing he could think about was to rush home and start playing. The only thing he could discuss with his friends was the amount of money he had won the day before in the online casino. He was unable to concentrate on his classes.
The beginner’s luck only lasted for a short period of time. As time went on, he lost more money than he won. To continue, he needed more money. From where, then? He lied to his parents and stole from them. And when that was not enough, he stole from his friends as well.
Of course, it did not take much time for his parents and friends to catch him. They asked Joe to stop gambling. But he was confident he could win back his losses if he just kept playing. The possibility of winning was so tempting for him that he thought the next time he played, he would win for sure. Of course, he was wrong, and he lost even more.
The young man got involved with the evil circle, hoping that by playing more, he would cure his faults. Despite several attempts to give up gambling, he found himself feeling empty without it. Consequently, he continued to play.
As a result of gambling, he lost a lot of money, was expelled from school, and lost the trust of his family and friends.
Fortunately, he was surrounded by people who really loved him. He had not even known he had so much support in life. And, finally, he listened to them.
He discovered, after a while, that he was not alone in his struggle. Gambling addiction plagues his age group. Through his search for resources for teenagers with gambling issues, he found support groups, websites, and professionals who are willing to assist.
Thanks to the support he got from other people, Joe is now an ex-gambler. As a result of this addiction, he suffered so much, and he does not want to fall into the same trap again.
It is evident from Joe’s story that young people are also at risk. There is a natural desire for teens to experience the same things that adults do. As a result of the availability of apps and the fact that anyone can create an account without restriction, the casino world is easily accessible to young people. Our responsibility as parents is to keep an eye on our children’s online activities.