x
Breaking News
More () »

Number of teens struggling with gambling addiction rise

Within the last few years, younger and younger teens have been reported to have gambling addictions.

CROMWELL, Conn. — Story by Kasey Schultz

Gambling activates the brain's reward system in almost the same way drugs do. That's why it's so easy for teens to become addicted. 

Katie Kirch, a Clinical Supervisor for the Bettor Choice program at the Wheeler Clinic, stresses the importance of when talking about drugs and alcohol also include the word gambling. 

Within the last few years, younger and younger teens have been reported to have gambling addictions.

RELATED: Programs in place to assist with gambling problems

 Kirch said that younger and younger demographic of people are calling the Connecticut helpline for support.

 A concerned parent and teacher, Andrea Rodrigue, notices that kids are gambling indirectly starting at such a young age.  Whether it's taking part in raffles, trading cards with bonus packs, or Super Bowl Pools kids are being drawn in. 

Sign up for the FOX61 newsletters: Morning Forecast, Morning Headlines, Evening Headlines

"It makes me more entertained in the game," said a high school senior when talking about the adrenaline rush in gambling. 

Kirch also stresses that due to gambling addictions, people lose a lot, they lose time from work, and time from friends. 

"It's not about spending huge amounts of money but winning a little bit of cash here and there doesn't really hurt," said the high school senior.   

The app store makes gambling so easy. All you have to do is look up gambling and hundreds of free apps come up. 

RELATED: Craft business inspires career change

 In November, Connecticut legalized online gambling so it's easy for a kid to pick up a phone, download an app, and put in some incorrect information,  Rodrigue observes. 

This is not a risk-free activity, any one of us is vulnerable to it. While it may be fun, it can easily turn into an addiction. Just like teens should say no to drugs and alcohol they should say no to underage gambling too.

The FOX 61 Student News program empowers Connecticut middle and high school students to explore the world of multi-media journalism by giving them the opportunity to capture, edit and publish original content under the guidance of industry professionals.

Each student produced and hosted segment will showcase a local story or event, highlighting all that is great about our state. Segments will be featured on-air during Friday's Morning News at 7:25 a.m., 10 p.m. news and during the FOX61 Morning News on Saturday at 7 a.m., on our Facebook page and right here on FOX61.com!

Stay tuned and keep an eye out for the next news star! If your school would like to get involved learn more here or email us at studentnews@fox61.com.

---

Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com

----

HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS

Download the FOX61 News APP

iTunes: Click here to download

Google Play: Click here to download

Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.

Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTERFACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM

Before You Leave, Check This Out