Read your comments

Online gambling fever is really taking hold of America's youth

For Crossing Continents, James Silver reported on the heavy social cost that comes with America's online gambling obsession.

We asked for your comments on our programme and the issues that it raised. A selection of your comments are below. This debate is now closed.

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I have two sons aged 16 and 18 who both play poker at home with friends and online. I was shocked and horrified to hear echoes of what they are doing in those US kids who have become addicted to gambling.

I have sent the printed info from the website to the older boy who is travelling in China (on a gap year). Poker is fast becoming a craze amongst young people here too. Thanks for the info. It has been a wake up call to me!
Sarah, UK

I regularly play poker with my seven and nine-year-old sons. Is this more or less likely to make them compulsive gamblers? I don't know but sooner or later they will be exposed to the real thing so at least they might have learnt a thing or two.
Phil, UK

The article shows the dark side of gambling, when it consumes you, however the fact remains that like anything in life you must know your limits.

I have been playing poker steadily for over a year now and never bet more than I can afford. And what I play with is pocket change which wouldn't be missed if I lost it.

Gambling is a harmless pastime. It's a game, with money involved. Be careful and have fun.
Matt, Manchester, UK

I have no idea how any parents in their right mind would encourage their children to play poker.

I think gambling is like when you first try a cigarette. At that point, you would never know whether later on you will be become addicted to it. Once you are addicted, it will be a painful and lengthy experience trying to quit. At worst, it will permanently damage your life.
Priya, Thailand

This article is completely misrepresenting American youth, in my opinion. In my 21 years I have lived in four or five different places.

This has never been an issue in any community I have lived in Robert, US

In none of those places was gambling a popular event among young people. This has never been an issue in any community I have lived in.
Robert, US

The word addiction implies that you cannot stop doing something with power of will alone. This is not the case with gambling.

If gambling becomes a problem, stop gambling. It's as simple as that. I've gambled a lot in my time but have known to stop when I want to stop.

People who are unable to do this are not addicted, just incapable of sensible decision-making. And maybe the resultant debt is the wake-up call they need.
Dan, England

Gambling is harmless if you exercise self-control. Don't gamble online. Have buy-ins of no more than $15-$20. Don't let people re-buy in. Keep it among people you know. You can make a little cash, or lose a little, but it's only a little and you keep yourself from potentially ruining your life.
John, US

I'm probably not typical since I'm 62 but to avoid the pain of losing thousands of dollars, I have switched to the pretend money side of the sites I use so I can "gamble" to my hearts content but never lose any more then cyberchips.

I get the same sort of anguish and the same sort of high from it since I forget that I'm playing for play money quite often and to me it is clear that many of my fellow "gamblers" do too.

At least the rhetoric seems genuine enough to persuade me that the players are feeling the anger and outrage at a "bad beat" just as they would in a real life loss situation.
Jane Nowlin, US

Perhaps young people are influenced by the ever-so-glorious portrait of poker kings in the mass media. I mean, poker games are even on TV regularly.

And I have seen many business magazines featuring poker championships with glamorous articles. Once gambling becomes sensational and inspirational, more young people (who happen to be more risk tolerant) will seek out to be the next poker champion or equivalent.

Racking up debts on gambling has a similar (not exactly alike) mentality to stock traders who hold on to losing stocks in the hope it will gain more in the future.

When my friends and I go to a casino, we have a golden rule. Whenever we finish the cash we budget for gambling, we leave. It's that simple. If either one of us wins something, we pocket the money and go eat a nice dinner.

Better to cut the loss sooner than later.
Lincoln, USA

The problem I have with this article is it seems to be the kind of scare story used to justify banning online gaming. This story could be written about any kind of addictive behaviour, from smoking to drinking, sex and drugs to compulsive eating.

The answer is to regulate and monitor the situation as opposed to the current direction the US is heading of banning and outlawing Chris Healey, US

There are many kinds of pastimes available to people and there are many people who will become a victim. But the answer is to regulate and monitor the situation as opposed to the current direction the US is heading of banning and outlawing.
Chris Healey, US

Please don't say "addiction". This activity began as a choice he made, and continued to make.

Pop psychology would have us believe we are "poor victims" and not totally responsible for our decisions and our outcomes.

I play cards, drink a pint now and then and enjoy the odd cigar. I'm not "addicted" to any of it because I choose to limit myself. If you have a problem with card playing, don't play cards!
Spoke, Canada

Gambling addicts remain a small minority among the population. Free societies will not limit their liberties in order to conform to the lowest common denominator and prohibition only enriches those who control the very commodity/action being legislated against.
Mark M, California

If you win, you're a superstar. If you lose, its an addiction. Shows the double edge of society.
Justin, Canada

I'm so surprised about this article. I cannot even remotely relate to it as where I grew up gambling is non-existent, unheard of and incomprehensible to most people. Why would any society accept an activity that could cause people to rack up such huge debts ?
Hussain Kakal, Pakistan/Canada

This is a very touching article and I am sure you are going to receive an enormous amount of replies as gambling is one of the strongest addictions there is.

With the rise of poker I am sure Ryan's story is echoed all over the world. Good for him for having the courage to let people know.

The strongest feeling a person can have while addicted is shame Jason Smith, Canada

As a recovering addict myself, I know that the strongest feeling a person can have while addicted is shame and that can be so overpowering that it keeps the addiction hidden.

I think the most important thing is to let people know that if they think they have a problem it is okay because there is a place to go for help. There is hope.
Jason Smith, Canada

Disease? Gambling? What, like smallpox or cholera? Crazy idea! This idea of addiction as a disease invites the sufferer to escape personal responsibility.

Seek support from groups like Gamblers Anonymous by all means, but recognise that some of the messages of 12-step programmes are seriously flawed.
Fred Ashmore, UK

There is a big difference between having an addiction to gambling and going off the rails for a few months chasing losses.

Some of these individuals are behaving irresponsibly and then using the excuse of being "addicted" to absolve them of any blame.

I gamble every day but I ensure that I am always in control. I really do not have much sympathy for those who think that discipline and responsibility do not apply to them.
Sean Taylor, UK

Part of empowerment is the ability to manage oneself at all levels. Democracy is not about rule of the majority, it is about personal self-government. We all need to be let free in order to discover what it is to self-govern.

Along the way, people will always get lost, but then they'll soon discover the necessity to be self-governing.
Martina, London

Stories like this don't reflect the fact that millions of people play poker and gamble every day without a problem. It's like any hobby - a vast minority of people may have a problem.

Teenagers are hurt in car accidents every day, but do we see story after story saying never get in a car? No.

It's just an over-reaction, and if the UK media starts heading down the worse-than-nanny-state path of the US media when it comes to a phobia about gambling in society, then it will an extremely sad indictment of the society we live in.
Carl Hobbs, Gibraltar

This boy has a much bigger problem than gambling, his biggest problem is his parents.

I'm 67 and I've known gambling can damage lives since I was 20, so what have these people been doing all their lives that they have managed to remain in such ignorance?
Meg, Canada

Presumably the problem gambler will continue to notch up higher debts in the hope they will get that big win to offset it, but it never comes.

Any win is a bonus, never rely on it Gob, Brighton

As we know from alcoholism and smoking, some people have addictive personalities and are more prone to this behaviour.

Personally I don't mind an occasional flutter but I always play with money I expect to lose. Any win is a bonus, never rely on it.
Gob, Brighton, UK

Never stake more than you can afford to lose.

Addiction infers some sort of physiological dependency. This is just something that people enjoy and have difficulty stopping, but no harm will come if you stop.

In cases like these there's always the delusion that you can win it all back, but only by increasing your stake. If you're no good at it stop immediately!

In this case I wouldn't say the poker night was a bad idea, but online poker is deceptively easy.
Jon Warren, Enfield

Running up debt playing poker happens for one of two reasons; either you lack the personal discipline to stop playing when you lose in a session so you chase losses, or you delude yourself into thinking you have more ability than you do and you play at the tables with stakes that are too high.

I work in the industry and I know a lot of people that love playing poker, and play regularly, but for low stakes, and for the social pleasure of it and the pride of winning, without any problem.
Steve, London

Years ago I gambled some remaining money - only about £5 - on a fruit machine.

Thinking little of it I later went into a bookshop and found a book that I'd been after for such a long time.

However, I had run out of money and couldn't afford it. It was easy to realise what a waste gambling was.
C. Stomer, UK

Don't bet what you can't afford to lose.
Paul Hodgson, UK

When will parents realise that there are so many distractions that can lure young people growing up in today's world?

The responsibility of education lies with the parents and school teachers NJ, UK

The world we live in now is drastically different to 10 years ago, let alone 20 or 30.

The responsibility of education lies with the parents and school teachers, society must keep the young people of tomorrow informed about the dangers associated with making wrong decisions and only then allow them to make conscious, informed choices about what they want to do or not do with their lives.
NJ, UK

It could happen to anyone. My parents and teachers were very particular about the dangers of gambling while I was growing up. It helped me keep things in perspective.

Even when I'm dealing with topics that I am supremely confident about (football for example), I still refuse to gamble because gambling is based on luck or the accurate prediction of future events, something that you have little or no control over.
Chinedu, United Kingdom

I have no pity for people who gamble their money away. If you are addicted to something then you should seek help, but the majority of gamblers keep going to see if they can win their losses back.
Hannah, Cardiff

So Ryan's parents realised he and his friends were playing cards (poker) regularly and didn't think he might be gambling?

Whenever I've played poker its been for something, pennies or chocolate buttons as often as not, but at least I can afford that!
Daniel Lloyd, UK

Gambling can offer valuable experiences that will serve you well in life.

It'll teach you to face reality, develop your thought processes by training you what aspects you should be considering, what are the risks and do they offset the rewards, how the system works, mathematical odds, how people think and how they behave.

Gambling is the hardest way to make an easy living. Those that lack thought, research, emotional detachment and discipline will surely suffer.
Paul, England

I've played online poker and find it quite a lot of fun but as soon as I've lost my £20 I get completely annoyed with myself and never play again for six months.

I guess people who get addicted must be completely the opposite, although I don't understand their logic.
Simon Johnson, UK

We all know that gambling is forbidden by Islam and other religions, but here in the West when we see some Islamic political party running for office on the platform of banning gambling, drugs and alcohol we are all upset about so called radicalism.

Why not implement such bans here in the West and rid society of so many problems coming from such evil acts?

We should be less arrogant and maybe seek solutions from the spiritual East.
Denis, Portugal

I have just found out that my best friend had been stealing from my personal bank account and our rent account to feed his gambling addiction.

Gambling is a disease and it will be with him forever Adam, UK

He took a large sum of money out of my account and then went straight to the casino and blew it in three hours.

He first denied the allegations but later confessed to be in a lot of trouble with gambling. He won over £6,000 in three weeks but had nothing to show for it, he just gambled it all away.

Gambling is a disease and it will be with him forever.
Adam, UK

Gambling is an addiction. No denying it. But rather than teaching gambling alongside alcohol, sex and drugs, why not teach personal finance?

Interesting though quadratic equations and trigonometry are, maths in the UK doesn't teach you how to handle money: what 14.9% APR means, how a student loan or a mortgage works...

Gambling is a growing problem, but rather than tackle it with scare-tactics, why not positively try to encourage people into actually thinking about the financial world and how it works?
Sharon, UK

Online gambling is particularly risky because it is something you can do without others knowing.

The money doesn't feel real, you can add up to £10,000 with a mere click of the mouse TH, UK

Companies offer to match your initial deposit, often giving you £100 or more, and some savvy students have managed to come away with a profit from circulating the online gambling sites.

But once you've run out of the site's welcome bonus the impulse is still there, and the money doesn't feel real - you can add up to £10,000 with a mere click of the mouse.

That's almost a year's salary for some people.
T H, Hertford, England

My father-in-law has blown £15,000 on online poker and a further couple of thousand on online bingo, all in the last year.

He is 71 and doesn't realise there are professionals and people with Poker Bots online just waiting for people like him.

The sad thing is that he hasn't taken his wife on a holiday in at least 20 years.
Mike, England

Gambling is as controllable as anything else. I hold a weekly game of poker in my house, and have done for the last year, with a £2 entry.

Apart from these games, I have absolutely no desire or want to gamble, it does not even pass my mind.

To squander such money is irresponsible and stupid. It is most certainly not an addiction.
Christian, Britain

I use a well-established internet site, but I have never had a problem with what I would call addiction.

The people who get into debt have problems with themselves. It isn't the industry failing them! Kevin F, Wales

I find myself playing about 10 games a month at $10 a go. For that money in Wales, I would get one night out on the town!

The people who get into debt have problems with themselves. It isn't the industry failing them! What I lose in a game will buy my two pints, with control and sense they would be the same?
Kevin F, Wales

Gambling is banned in most of the US. This is why!
Rhys Sage, United States

I am a fairly successful online poker player and have won some significant sums money over the last couple of years.

A friend of mine who is in financial trouble saw my success as a possible way out of his debt. However, he now spends almost all of his time playing online, chasing increasing losses, and has begun to neglect his wife and children as a result.

I am worried he is now addicted and is partly my fault.
Iain, Scotland

I play poker online and in real life and often lose a fair amount of money, but as long as I enjoy playing, I see the losses as the cost of enjoyment.
Phil Chan, Glasgow

This seems to be exactly what the world needs: something else to fear. The problem isn't that it's horribly addictive and there's a high chance you'll get addicted and lose thousands of dollars, the problem is parents aren't educating their children about these things.

Education is good for curbing these things, not sensationalised news stories that breed fear Robin Malinowski, Poland

Yes, it can be addictive, but when you have guidance (read: parenting) to help you along, you'll be just fine.

Education is good for curbing these things, not sensationalised news stories that breed fear.
Michael Hill, United States

It is not just poker that can be addictive. I often play bingo for money as well, although I have never heard of anyone become a bingo addict.
Robin Malinowski, Poland

Gee, I wonder what will happen if I'm gambling high stakes and I lose and I just keep going? These people aren't ill, they're stupid.
Douglas Russell, United Kingdom

They are not stupid, Douglas. That is unfair. People gamble for hundreds of different reasons, and I have had a problem with gambling in the past which got me into debt.

Now, many years later I play online poker. I have won and I have lost, but mostly lost. Logically it makes no sense ( and I'm a graduate and MD of a software firm) but I love to gamble.

Luckily I can cover any losses without real pain, but you have to remember that online poker is available 24 hours a day from any machine. It is not like a once a week game with friends, and therein lies the danger.
Tim, UK

Everyone has a choice and some people choose to get themselves into debt Dick Bvorrill, UK

I agree with Doug, these people should be held accountable for their actions. I don't blame the companies, everyone has a choice and some people choose to get themselves into debt.
Dick Bvorrill, UK

I am in college and we all see the billboards and the ads. The problem is that we're so used to being told that marijuana and alcohol will make us kill our friends and miss dinner with our grandmas (two recent commercials here) that we've come to distrust all the health and safety related advice we are given. A classic boy-who-cried-wolf story.
Greg Laughlin, USA

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The comments we publish are not necessarily the views of the BBC but will reflect the balance of views we have received. It is helpful if contributors state if they work for any organisation relevant to an issue discussed. Readers should form their own views on whether messages published represent undeclared interests, or views prompted by a common source.