Why It’s Easier Than Ever For Americans To Fall Into This 'Invisible Addiction'

1.9k  Serah Louis  Sun, January 1, 2023

'I was stealing from Peter to pay Paul': Why it’s easier than ever for Americans to fall into this 'invisible addiction'

Noah Vineberg, a bus driver based in Ottawa, Canada, lost over $1 million to his gambling addiction.

Vineberg traces the roots of his addiction all the way back to elementary school, where he avidly traded marbles and hockey cards on the schoolyard.

“It wasn't until much later — like 16 to 18, 19 — I knew that I was gambling heavier than anybody else. And I knew that I definitely had a problem.”

It's a problem he grappled with for 48 years. But Vineberg is now in his fourth year free from gambling.

Many others are still struggling to find their way out their addiction. The National Center for Responsible Gambling points to research that indicates 1% of the U.S. population suffers from a severe gambling problem. And young adults are especially vulnerable, with an estimated 6% to 9% of young people experiencing problems related to gambling.

And while not all those problems are financial, they often come with a hefty price tag.

The Pandemic Contributed To the Issue

Gambling has long been one of Americans' favorite pastimes. And access to it has only gotten easier since 2018, when the Supreme Court overturned a decision that limited sports betting to Nevada.

Ads and apps have been popping up everywhere since, even some featuring celebrities like Aaron Paul and Shaquille O'Neal.

But those ads can have a troubling effect, says Vineberg. Because while they may show people winning, “winners” are not who the advertisers are really trying to target.

The client they’re after is the ‘me’ that's going to go to four different check-cashing places … and going to just try and make enough on the weekend in my bets to cover my butt by Monday.”

And it's only going to get more difficult for people like Vineberg. More than two dozen states have legalized sports betting in the past few years. And according to a report by the American Gaming Association, 2022 is on track for another record-setting year. Sports betting and iGaming revenue grew by double digit percentages over the first ten months of the year compared to the same period from the previous year.

“The incidence of online gambling, and the severity of it, have increased considerably,” says Diana Gabriele, a gambling counselor at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) in Windsor, Ont. in Canada. Ontario is the first province in Canada to regulate sports betting.

Gabriele adds the increased isolation during COVID-19 lockdowns didn't help.

 “As a result of that isolation, and the change in lifestyles and loss of employment, people became bored, they became strapped for money, they were looking for ways to make money easily,” she says.

“They were looking for entertainment.”

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/people-six-figure-incomes-living-110000551.html