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Gambling Addiction Essay

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Gambling Addiction

Gambling addiction is an issue found in numerous areas where gambling is legal. People who are addicted to gambling, also know as problem gamblers, face many health risks including depression, suicidal thoughts, loss of sleep, loss of appetite, migraine and anxiety in addition to marriage breakdown, problems at work and bankruptcy (9). About 2 percent of adults are thought to be problem gamblers (1). In today’s society this costly addiction is not often considered to be a common problem among those who gamble. Only a small amount of states in the U.S. give enough attention toward this rising problem of people that are sometimes even willing to commit crimes just to aid their addiction. In the past our …show more content…

I think that a sufficient amount of all the extra revenue in each state should be spent on clinics since gambling addiction is an economic problem that comes directly from legalized gambling. The extra revenue could be the answer to having enough clinics to meet the rising need.

Another solution to the problem of gambling addiction is more ordinance and restriction laws. These laws regulate every aspect that limits gambling. Without enough of them a state’s gambling industry could increase quickly bringing a rise of gambling addiction rate along with it.

Ordinance laws are state laws that protect areas and buildings from having gambling machines. Without enough ordinance laws, it can be legal to place slot machines around public facilities, such as, schools and churches. This allows easy access to children. Almost 1 percent of the population has serious gambling problems, but the rate is twice as high in adolescents (9). Experts in adolescent compulsive behavior say between 14 and 15 percent of all adolescents who gamble by playing poker will eventually become compulsive gamblers (11). When children have access to gambling machines it increases their chance of developing a gambling addiction in their future. Therefore, I think that every state that has legalized gambling should also have good ordinance laws to keep gambling out of places where children

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