THE GAMBLING PROBLEM IN AMERICA
Abstract
The US gaming industry is an $80 billion a year industry. This includes casinos, state lotteries, and Indian casinos. Americans contribute an additional $6 billion in online gaming. With the ease of access via the internet and the entertainment and marketing of Las Vegas it is no wonder so many people partake in gambling. Most who gamble are responsible with their gambling money but some develop what is known as problem gambling or a gambling addiction. In this paper I will examine the possible causes of problem gambling, how widespread it is, and if there are any factors that would make a certain group of people more susceptible to problem gambling. I will conclude the paper with actions that can be taken to minimize the risk of problem gambling.
Gambling Problem in America
Introduction
It has been estimated that the gambling practice in the United States has increased 10 folds since the 1980 (Monoghan, 2008). Research also indicates that the gambling habit has become more prevalent among the youths than in older adults (Monoghan, 2008). Though gambling has been presented in the society as harmless entertainment and recreational activity, research has linked this practice to various social risks. According to these studies, people involved in gambling are more likely to drink, engage in substance abuse, indulge in criminal activities or develop a gambling problem (Monoghan, 2008). Statistics estimates the number of American suffering from problem gabling at about 15 million. This figure accounts for 5% of the American population and therefore implies that problem gabling is among the thorny social issues in the country. This paper has focused on the issue of gambling problem in America and some of the root causes of this problem. It has been hypothesized that; social acceptance of gambling, ease of access, economic factors, gender, ethnic groups and sports are the main contributing factors to the prevalence of problem in the society.
Origin of Gambling
Origin of gambling can be traced back to the religious cultures of societies from the prehistoric age (Schwartz, 2007). These were such as Mesopotamia, India, Egypt, China, Greece and Ancient Persia which were among the earliest human civilizations. These societies practiced rituals that were meant to predict future events and outcomes. In most cases, these rituals involved throwing out items such as bones, stones, nuts or sticks from the foretellers arm and counting the items that fell on the ground. If the count of the items is an odd number it was interpreted that there will be negative outcome and vise versa. These steps later evolved to involve more complicated techniques of interpreting the patterns of the items that fell on the ground. Eventually, these gambling practices grew out of the religious realm into secular activities such as determining stakes for wealth and fortune or prices of goods in market.
As society evolved gambling tools also evolved along with them, with popularly used bones and nuts being replaced by the dice. Archeologist have discovered many four sided dices in Egyptian, Mesopotamia, Indian and Chinese archaeological sites dating as early as 6000 B.C. Evidence from later period indicate that gambling evolved from using tools into betting. People would bet on contests involving human fights, cock and dog fights among other sporting activities. This was a common phenomenon in the ancient Greek and Roman empires. It is believed that the gambling practices spread from these ancient civilizations into medieval Europe and later into the American continent. Though gambling in the United States may have started much earlier, evidence of organized gambling in the United States can be traced back to the 1600’s.
Social Acceptance of Gambling
The UnitedState is one of the countries that have widely legalized various forms of gambling making the society to become increasingly tolerant to gambling practices. During the colonial period in the UnitedState the colonial government displayed mixed attitudes towards gambling (Dunstan, 1997). While in some places such as Massachusetts, gambling was completely prohibited with possession of; gamming table, dice and cards being made illegal in other areas gambling was accepted as form of recreation. In certain period in history of colonial America, England began to blame gambling for the problem of the inability of the colonies to support them selves. Though laws were legislated to prohibit gambling after this period, they did not manage to stop it but only served to take it underground. However, gambling was later viewed as a solution for these colonies. Lotteries were used to provide financial support for failing colonies. During the fight for independence lotteries also played a significant role in funding these wars. In 1769 continental congress passed a lottery worth $ 10 million to finance the independence war (Dunstan, 1997). The popularity of lotteries prevailed even in post colonial United States. In the 1823 the Congress has authorized a lottery for the planned WashingtonDC beautification. Other forms of gambling came up during this time. This included horse race wagering and gaming in Casinos. River towns in the West began to see the sprouting of gambling establishments.
The great depression served to encourage the legalization of gambling(Dunstan, 1997). The State governments had run short of finances and tax increases were strongly opposed; this circumstance forced the states to rely on lotteries to bail them out. Presence of lotteries supported by the government led to emergence of illegal betting activities in United States. The last three decades have seen gambling become increasingly popular as the gambling opportunities increase. Today gambling has become common and accepted with adverts for popularizing various forms of gambling flooding the media. The media has particularly been influential in promoting the acceptance of gambling. Promotional messages for various form of gambling are visible in many of our newspapers, televisions and online marketing sights among other advertising media (Dunstan, 1997). Availability of these promotional messages, coupled with the prevalent and the influence of media on the society has led to the increased acceptance of gambling into the society (Monoghan, 2008). Monoghan (2008) explains this influence using cultivation theory which presents the arguments that, the longer an individual is exposed to an idea the greater the chances of him or her adopting that idea. It has today become a common phenomenon to see people gambling in casino or purchasing lottery tickets at shopping malls. Incidents of parents purchasing lottery tickets as gifts for their children have also become the norm in our society. Besides legalization, another factor that made the American society to accept gambling is its ease of access.
Ease of Access to Gambling
In modern American societies children grow up in a setting where gambling has been legalized and widely accepted (Monoghan, 2008). Today gambling is viewed as a major source of entertainment and recreation with minimal harm to individuals. Gambling has been portrayed in a very positive light, with the possibility of winning rewards being advanced as positive social attribute. On the other hand, the negative impacts of gambling have been down played and as result very lenient regulation have been imposed against gambling. Consequently, the gambling practice has become increasingly prevalent in the society with major forms of gambling being popularized from left, right and center. Today, many gambling facilities have been established throughout the country with the city of Las Vegas being on the lead in this practice. River boat gambling, international hotels that facilitate gambling and casinos have become common in most American cities. Apart from establishments of physical facilities that encourage gambling, this practice has more so been made increasingly accessible by various technologies.
Televisions and the internet are some of the technologies that have increased the access to gambling (Monoghan, 2008). To date there are numerous reality TV shows that are based on gambling. These are such; American Idols betting, Big Brother Betting, The Apprentice betting, Survivor and “So you thing you can dance” among many others. Such reality TV shows are accessible to every one, even the underage people. The realty TV shows encourage followers to participate in betting and some of them may end up developing problem gambling. The internet has also played its role in ensuring accessibility to gambling by members of the society (Monoghan, 2008). To date, there are hundreds of online betting sites and others forms on online games, which contain enticing messages that encourage people to indulge in the gambling practice. The online casinos and other gambling sites are easily accessible to anyone with an internet connection and an online means of transferring money.
Economy and Gambling
Economic factors have also played a role in encourage gambling practices in the United States. Gambling has been tied with economic benefits. There are numerous economic benefits associated with the construction and operations of gambling facilities. One of these benefits is taxation (Rose, 1998). State governments collect millions in terms of revenues associated with construction of gambling facilities, operation of gambling facilities and also taxes on online gaming sites. Statistics indicate that casinos in the United States generate an estimated $ 30 billion dollars per annum while lotteries generated about $ 17 billion dollars per annum (Monoghan, 2008). This has motivated these governments to come out in support of gambling practices. Another economic benefits associated with gambling is employment. Thousand of Americans have been employed either directly or indirectly through the gambling industry. Construction workers belonging to company building casinos, service staff working in casinos and other betting establishments, workers in companies that manufacture betting equipments and workers in IT sector that support gambling activities all owe their employment to the gambling industry. This has also led to increased support of the gambling industry by a significant section of the society. The gambling industry is also associated with other multiplier effects such as stimulating demand for other commodities such as beverages and accommodation. The economic benefits associated with gambling may have contributed to the act by different stake holders to overlook the issue of problem gambling.
Sports Induced Gambling
The relationship between sports and gambling has always been a close one. These two industries have benefited mutually from one another (Forrest & Simmons, 2003). There are various sports that have grown and developed as results of support from lotteries. These are such as the basketball and baseball. There are also numerous gambling activities that are dependent on sports. Statistics indicate that 48% of gamblers wager on sport contests and activities with majority of these population being young people because they are the most interested in sports (Monoghan, 2008). The popularity of sports among the American society is also a factor that has led to the propagation of gambling habits. Sport contexts such as the super bowl, World Series and March Madness contribute significantly to the gambling industry. Some studies have estimated the number of sports related online gambling sites operating in the United States to be at 110 (Forrest & Simmons, 2003). The contribution of sports to the prevalence of the gambling practice can not be understated.
Problem Gambling among Different Ethnic Groups
Gambling problem in the United States differ among ethnic groups. Various researchers have argued that minority ethnic groups are at increased risk to participate in gambling activity. A study conducted by Alegria, et al (2009) found out that gambling cases among African Americans and Asian Americans were much higher than in White American. The difference among these racial groups is mainly attributed to cultural differences and acceptability of the practice. Gambling is widely accepted among the African Americans and Asian Americans cultures than in White Americans. For example, gambling has been an acceptable tradition in the lifestyles of the Asian community and therefore the practice is expected to be prevalent among such communities (Alegria, 2009). Social-economic conditions have also played a role in this difference. These conditions are such as lower education levels and lower levels of income especially among members of the African American Community.
Gambling in Men vs. Women
A few years ago, the practice of gambling had been associated with the men. However, in recent time the number of gambling women has been on the rise. A gambling study in the UK indicted that women are now more likely to participate in gambling just like their male counterparts, with 61% of the female participants to the study admitting as having participated in some form of gambling as compared to 70% of the Male (Corney & Davis, 2010). However, men are still leading in gambling problem with statistics indicating that an average male with problem gambling incur a debt of between $55,000 and $90,000 while an average female gamblers incur $15,000. Corney and Davis (2010) study indicated that women were more likely to participate in lighter forms of gambling such as lotteries.
The gambling practice has become prevalent in the American society. Though this practice has been popularized as harmless pass time and entertainment activity, this practice has various risks which have been down played. One major risk is that of problem gambling. This paper has discussed problem gambling in American and has identified acceptance of gambling in the society, ease of access to gambling, economic factors, gender, ethnic group and sports as some of the risk factors for developing this problem.
References
Alegria A. et al (2009). Disordered gambling among racial and ethnic groups in the US: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Public Medical Central Journal. 14 (3), 132- 142
Corney and Davis (2010). The Attractions and Risks of Internet Gambling for Women a Qualitative Study. Journal of Gambling Issues. 24
Dunstan R. (1997). Gambling in California. California Research Bureau. May 23, 2011. Retrieved on http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/97/03/Chapt2.html
Forrest D. & Simmons R. (2003). Sport and Gambling. Oxford Review of Economic Policy. 19 (4), 598- 611
Monoghan S. (2008). An Appraisal of the Impact of the Depiction of Gambling in Society on Youth. International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction. 6, 537- 550
Rose A. (1998). The Regional Economic Impacts of Casino gambling: Assessment of Literature and Establishment of a Research Agenda. National Gambling Impact Study Commission.
Schwartz D. (2007). Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling. USA. Penguin Group
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