Seduction and Destruction of Gambling

Newsweek did an article this week on the "Road to Recession" in America. Apparently, as our income decreases and the cost of living increases, we spend what's left of our money on alcohol, tobacco, and gambling--along with health care, utilities, and consumer necessities like toothpaste. Good news for those invested in those industries. Bad news for families hit by the recession--especially if they have one parent trying to earn back their recession losses by playing blackjack or milking the slot machines.

When I did the research for my novel, Going for Broke, I was stunned at the deception and destruction of gambling. Many people really think it is a viable option for earning money yet millions of lives are being destroyed by this "harmless entertainment." When a man or woman gets trapped in this addiction, they will sacrifice their house, car, job, and their kid's lunch money to try and recover some of the money they've lost...or just to feel the rush from another win.

Here are a few statistics about gambling and gambling addiction:

• Almost eight million American adults and another eight million American adolescents are considered to be problem or pathological gamblers. (Harvard Medical School)
• Women succumb to gambling addiction nearly three times faster than men.
• Approximately one in five compulsive gamblers attempt suicide.
• In 2006, 50 percent of evangelical Protestants and 73 percent of mainline Protestants said they gambled in some form during the past year. (Pew Research)
• In 2005, the gross revenues from all forms of gambling totaled nearly $85 billion — more money than Americans spend on movie tickets, theme parks, spectator sports and videogames combined. (CitizenLink)

For more information about the problem of gambling or to find out how to overcome this addiction, check out www.gamblingexposed.org.