Gambling: Normal
Adolescent Activity or
Pathologic Addiction?
Janice Selekman
A 15-year-old comes to the school counselor. He owes $4,000 in gambling debts to a sports-betting bookie, and he doesn’t have the money. He is afraid. Yet, 2 weeks later, he bet on the Super Bowl and won
$3,000. A 14-year-old limits his betting to $20 and $30; he only bets what he has and he is happy with his successes. A 17-year-old was born with a malformed arm and cannot play sports; instead, he makes bets on sports games. He sells his belongings to get the money he needs; right now, he owes $700. Are the behaviors of these teens unusual? ngaging in one or more high-risk behaviors is often viewed as a normal expectation during the adolescent years. Whether testing the limits of the speedometer when one first learns to drive, engaging in sex or smoking, or using illegal substances or medications not prescribed to them, teenagers think of themselves as invincible and able to handle anything. Some activities start as innocuous behaviors and only later are found to be harmful, such as using tanning booths to look healthy. New to this list of activities in which adolescents engage is gambling. It occurs with such great prevalence that it is not always recognized as gambling; yet, this behavior, as with any risky behavior, can be detrimental to an adolescent’s health.
Gambling, sometimes referred to as “gaming,” is defined as the practice of playing games of chance or betting in the hope of winning money or something of value; it involves risk and uncertainty (Verbeke & Kittrick-Nathan, 2007).
While the term gambling often is associated with a criminal activity, the word “gaming” often refers to these same activities or others that have become legalized (Humphrey,
2007). In this article, the terms will be used
