Teen Gambling On Rise

BOSTON -- It may be the stuff of old cowboy movies and smokey, whiskey-drenched rooms, but the game of poker is luring more teenagers to the table.

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But NewsCenter 5's Liz Brunner reported, the draw to poker may become too high-stakes for high schoolers.

Poker is everywhere on TV -- the chips, the show of hands, the rules of the game, and the glitz and glamour surrounding the game has made poker a national pastime among teens.

For some Newton High School students, poker is all about strategy, fun and friendship with a little change thrown in, but mostly chips.

The students say they are just in it for the fun, but poker isn't poker without betting for money.

"We play for $10s and $20s," said student Noah Halpern.

Halpern's mother said it's mostly good, clean fun, and betting a few dollars is OK.

"A lot of these kids grew up sitting in front of computers and watching TV, so playing cards is more interactive for them," said Sharon Halpern. "The social part has been awfully nice for them."

But adolescents say they love the rush of risk-taking. And for a small percentage, gambling, like drugs and alcohol, can become addictive. The Newton teens are not problem gamblers, but even at their table, they say one bad hand can keep them playing to win.

"I put in $50 once, but got it back the next day. It's like a roller coaster -- that's the good thing about poker. There's the ups and downs, good hands and bad hands. Roll with it, and keep on playing and you'll get it back," said Zak Amittay, 16.

"We heard from adult gamblers that they started it just for fun, but at some point, they crossed that invisible line. There will be some adolescents who will not be able to handle it for some reason," said Kathleen Scanlan, of the Compulsive Gambling Council.

In a recent survey, half of 14- to 18-year-old boys said they've gambled for money. And more 14- to 17-year-olds have tried gambling than alcohol or cigarettes.

The most dangerous place to play poker, experts say, is online, where $100 million is wagered on poker on more than 200 Web sites every day.

Noah has already asked his mom for an online account.

"I don't think there's that much risk because you can put in $40 on a card and that's it -- so you can't lose any more than that," he said.

But those who can't stop find ways to raise the stakes. "Adam," 18, is in Gambler's Anonymous, a support group for problem gamblers.

"I'd be playing 10 hours a day, not getting any work done, thinking about how much money I won, or how my life is over because I lost thousands of dollars the night before," Adam said.

Noah's mom said no to opening an online poker account.

Experts say the chances that a teen would become a compulsive gambler are very small.