Gambling addiction in the United States is getting more and more serious as calls to get the situation under control grow louder. The Guardian spoke with experts who highlighted America’s concerns about the young people exposed to harm.

Gambling organizations across the US have noticed a concerning number of teen and young adult patients seeking help.

New Jersey, which has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to gambling, is currently dealing with an influx of harmed young patients. According to the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, the number of requests for support has more than doubled since 2018. This was also echoed by UCLA, which has been evaluating the trend.

Many believe that the convenience mobile gambling provides has made it very appealing to young people Brad Ruderman, of the Beit T’Shuvah treatment center in Los Angeles noted that this would be the first generation to grow with mobile gambling.

Keith Whyte, the National Council on Problem Gambling’s executive director, asked a room of 40 17-year-old boys in Virginia how many had sports betting apps on their phones. Thirty-six boys admitted to having one, further supporting T’Shuvah’s claim.

Experts believe that young people, whose brains are still developing, might be much more susceptible to gambling’s tricks of attracting customers.

Arnie Wexler, a counselor, fears that America might be “killing its youth.”

The Situation Is Bad But Not Hopeless

Rick Benson, the founder of the Algamus treatment facility in Goodyear, Arizona, believes that America might be headed into a “gambling addiction quagmire if not crisis.” He said that the nonstop betting opportunities provided by the local mobile operators are simply too convenient.

Another aspect is peer and commercial pressure, Shekhar Saxena, ex-director at the WHO, believes. He pointed out that younger people easily influence one another, exacerbating the problem.

For reference, in 2018 only 11.5% of the people who contacted New Jersey’s gambling support services admitted they were under 25. During the first 10 months of 2023, this number had increased to 19.6%.

Luckily, the younger generation is more likely to seek help, according to UCLA’s co-director of the gambling studies program, Timothy Fong. The stigma among them is not so serious suggesting that there might be hope for solving the issue.

The Guardian also spoke with Amanda Blackford, director of operations and problem gambling services at the Ohio Casino Control Commission. Commenting on the rising harm rates that followed the recent legalization of sports betting, Blackford said that problem gambling will always exist, so it is important to help as many people as possible.

Many Believe Tougher Regulations Are Needed

In the meantime, calls to better regulate the sports betting sector have increased. While many states now offer gambling, some believe that few of them are sufficiently engaged in the protection of customers.

Felicia Grondin, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling, is one of the many supporters of restrictions on gambling ads. Ads are already talked about a lot in other modern markets as many believe that exposure leads to more harm.

WHO’s Saxena, on the other hand, said that operators themselves should not exploit their consumers’ vulnerabilities. Saxena thinks that allowing the customers to choose how often and how much to wager is not enough.

The industry, however, argues that an overwhelming majority of consumers wager safely. According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), legal operators offer a number of important safeguards to keep players safe.

Overregulation, on the other hand, risks channeling people toward the black market, which offers few, if any, of these safety measures. The AGA urged for further research before proceeding with overregulation.

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However, a year after the opening of WarHorse Lincoln, the first state-licensed casino in Nebraska, these fears have proven unfounded.

Lincoln Casino Surprises with Minimal Police Calls Despite Concerns

Despite vocal concerns from notable figures like former Gov. Pete Ricketts, billionaire Warren Buffet, and former Husker football coach Tom Osborne, casino gambling in Lincoln has not led to the anticipated increase in criminal activities, reported The Lincoln Journal Star. Law enforcement data reveals that the Lincoln Police Department responded to the casino only 78 times in the past year. These calls were primarily related to minor disturbances and trespassing incidents, resulting in infrequent citations.

Lincoln Police Captain Don Scheinost, who leads LPD’s Southwest Team, expressed his surprise at the low number of incidents. He credited the casino’s cooperative staff and management for maintaining a secure environment. 

Comparatively, other public places like hospitals and grocery stores in the city have generated more calls to the police. For instance, Bryan West Campus, a local hospital, experienced 1,425 police calls, while the Walmart near Lincoln’s southeastern edge had 326 calls during the same period.

Scheinost emphasized that crimes such as car thefts and vehicle break-ins, which are largely preventable, pose more significant challenges to law enforcement. He added that concerns about casino-related crime are not prominent among Lincoln residents, noting that he has rarely been questioned about the casino’s impact on the community.

Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission Proactively Addresses Gambling Issues

The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, responsible for overseeing the state’s casinos, has proactively addressed potential issues related to gambling establishments. In an effort to prevent human trafficking, a problem sometimes associated with casinos, the commission has mandated staff training and the display of human trafficking awareness posters and hotlines in casino bathrooms.

Casey Ricketts, the director of compliance at the commission, acknowledged the possibility of future challenges but expressed confidence in their preparedness. She stated that they were trying to take a very proactive approach, emphasizing the need for collaboration among casinos, problem gaming advocates, law enforcement, and trafficking experts.

Last year Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts approved rules allowing casino gambling in the state, with applications that opened in June 2023. The delay was due to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission finalizing the licensing fees. 

In October 2022, Nebraska also made progress toward legalizing sports betting in the state, with rules approved by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission. While the exact launch date remains uncertain, sports betting will be limited to in-person bets at horse racetrack casinos. In a 2020 ballot, 65% of voters supported casino gambling to keep revenue within the state, potentially boosting Nebraska’s treasury by $60 million to $120 million annually.

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Macau, renowned as a global gambling hub, has reported significant shifts in its gambling landscape. The territory’s Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) cited a recent University of Macau survey, noting that gambling participation and gambling disorders among adults significantly decreased in 2022. These figures match Macau’s efforts to diversify its offerings and gradually reduce the role of gambling.

Survey Results Show Promising Progress

A research report titled “A Study of Macao People’s Participation in Gambling Activities 2022” has indicated that 30.1% of the adult population in Macau participated in gambling activities in 2022. This figure represents a significant decrease from the 2019 rate of 40.9%. Although the pandemic likely influenced these results, the figure still represents a notable departure from pre-COVID levels.

Among the 2,033 survey respondents, only nine individuals showed signs of a potential gambling disorder. These people accounted for a mere 0.45% of the overall sample, reflecting Macau’s successful harm prevention measures. Social Welfare Bureau representative Ms Wu I Mui noted the number of people seeking help with gambling-related issues dropped by 40% from 2019.

The first half of this year saw 19 requests for assistance regarding gambling harm, marking no increase in the incidence of detected gambling disorders.

Wu I Mui, Social Welfare Bureau representative

Social Gaming remains the most popular form of gambling among Macau residents at 15.6%, followed by Mark Six Lottery’s 13.0%. Casino game participation was merely 5.6%, while slot machines trailed them with 3.0%. These results indicate that locals generally avoid the region’s high-profile gambling venues. Sports betting had difficulties engaging residents, ranking last at 2.5%.

This Data Does Not Reflect the Wider Gambling Sector

Macau’s latest gambling survey underscores changes in the local gambling landscape. The decrease in gambling participation rates suggests shifts in preferences and priorities among Macau residents, while improved responsible gambling practices and support mechanisms had a noticeable impact. These changes are promising and reflect the local government’s overarching policy.

The Macau government is relentlessly investing in developing new industries like tourism, finance, and technology. Numerous new initiatives aim to draw visitors away from casinos and towards the city’s cultural and heritage attractions. New licenses have operators invest substantial amounts in non-gambling activities, exemplified by recent high-profile launches like the Londoner Macao.

While the recent results show promise, the survey remained limited to Macau locals and may not necessarily reflect the region’s broader gaming landscape. Gambling-related tourism still accounts for most of the local economy, and diversification efforts remain slow. However, the survey data marks steady progress towards a new, reimagined Macau.

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Late last year, the former Treasurer of New South Wales (NSW), proposed a change to the taxation for casino operators, pushing for an increase in casino duty rate. Although it wasn’t implemented, the proposal stuck around with the lawmakers following the recent election in NSW. In light of discussions with the local government for the increase in casino duty rates, The Star Entertainment released a new statement Tuesday outlining its concerns.

The Star’s managing director and CEO, Robbie Cooke, criticized the proposed duty rates increase, explaining that it was introduced by the former Treasurer without the necessary consultations. Moreover, he explained that the proposed casino duty rates do not consider the impact on The Star’s Sydney operations.

Cooke noted that the proposed duty rates are likely to bring significant economic challenges for the company’s Sydney business. At the same time, he warned that those rates may ultimately threaten the jobs of some 4,000 of The Star’s Sydney employees.

“This proposed duty increase was policy on the run by the former Treasurer, was ill-conceived with no consultation and had no regard to the capacity of our Sydney operation to afford the impost. If implemented as originally proposed, the additional duty would significantly challenge the economic viability of the Sydney business and put the jobs of up to 4,000 hard-working Sydney employees in jeopardy.“

Robbie Cooke, managing director and CEO at The Star

While Talks Continue, Charter Hall Transaction Halts

The managing director and CEO confirmed that The Star will continue its discussions with the NSW Government. Ultimately, according to Cooke, the company seeks to “guarantee the jobs” of its team members. Additionally, he said that The Star continues to follow its plan for reforms for its “suitability and to ensure it remains a valuable contributor to the NSW economy.”

The recent statement released by The Star pointed out that the company “appreciates the engagement to date by the current NSW Government.” It also said that it will continue to collaborate with the local government, as well as the NSW Treasury and support a proposal that seeks to protect the future of its employees in Sydney.

The criticism and concerns shared by The Star coincided with a separate announcement made by the company Tuesday. The company said that its plan for a sale and partial leaseback transaction with Charter Hall regarding the Treasury Casino and Hotel buildings and the Queen’s Gardens Car Park, would not be going ahead. In a separate statement released by The Star, it said that Charter Hall confirmed it is no longer interested in going ahead with the transaction.

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Responsible gambling is one of the hot topics of the modern gambling industry as many markets and operators seek to protect players from harm. Australia, according to the BBC, is not doing all that well.

According to the news outlet, about 1 in every 100 Australians has some sort of a gambling problem. Much of the harm is caused by electronic slot machines or poker machines, both known as pokies by locals.

Some of the most vulnerable people sometimes end up in debt, spending thousands on losing bets. A recent estimate by H2 Gambling Capital shows that if gambling losses were averaged over all adult Australians, each of them would lose around $800 (converted to USD) a year.

A Former Addict Spoke with the BBC

BBC spoke with Kate Seselja, a former addict who once lost $336,000 to gambling. She played for 12 years and would sometimes cry when her money ran out. She even contemplated suicide but finally decided against it because she was pregnant with her sixth child at the time.

Seselja said that she had felt “emotionally done” with her existence and wanted to end it all but didn’t want to end her child’s life.

Seselja says that people are always warning others about smoking and alcohol but pokies are rarely mentioned in such conversations. She was introduced to pokies at the age of 18 when she wagered $20 and won hundreds. This made her feel lucky and clever, which is why she continued to play as her addiction worsened.

Eventually, the woman started spending all her money on gambling and even began lying to her family in order to get money for gambling. Luckily, after more than a decade, Seselja managed to overcome her addiction. However, she was but one of many Australians struggling with problem gambling.

Pokies Are Everywhere

One of the biggest problems about pokies is how ubiquitous they are. Despite housing just 0.33% of the world’s population, the country fields a whopping fifth of all pokies. These can be found in casinos, pubs, clubs and even hotels.

Games are often designed to be addictive and to congratulate players even when they are losing money. To make matters worse, pokies are oftentimes concentrated in vulnerable communities. Dr Livingstone from Monash University told the BBC that this is nothing short of exploitation of at-risk people.

While Australia’s Gaming Technologies Association says that the machines are fair and designed with safer gambling in mind. A spokeswoman noted that millions of people enjoy the vertical harm-free. However, Seselja argues that even if not all people experience harm, that doesn’t mean that the game is harmless.

Perrottet Hopes to Reform NSW Gambling

Many people in Australia and New South Wales in particular hope for a change. With elections looming in the Australian state, some hope that the problematic machines will finally be addressed.

Should he get re-elected, Premier Dominic Perrottet promises to introduce spending limits and make all machines cash-free within five years. Despite the favorable pokies tax revenue, Australia cannot continue to benefit from people’s misery, Perrottet says.

However, not all agree with Perrottet and his measures. While certain organizations and reformed addicts such as Seselja have welcomed his proposal, others say that he should instead focus on banning criminals from gaming rooms, instead of forcing everyone to go cashless.

At the same time, ClubsNSW continues to lobby against significant changes in the sector, because of the negative impact they may have on its members. Pressure from the union previously prevented an earlier attempt by MP Andrew Wilkie to introduce gambling reforms.

Wilkie hopes that Perrottet will be able to do better and introduce his reforms in spite of the opposition. However, Seselja is less optimistic about Perrottet’s re-election. She grimly noted that Australia is the number one country in terms of gambling harm and that there is something “profoundly wrong there.”

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