By Dave Lucas
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Saratoga, NY – With the Saratoga Track opening this week, the race is on to prevent kids from gambling. Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
New York State Law prohibits anyone under the age of 18 to buy lottery tickets, play video slot machines or bet on horses. But there are individuals who sidestep the safety nets: more teenagers in Saratoga County say they've gambled in the past year.
A 2008 school survey conducted by New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) found that 48 percent of students in grades 7-12 had gambled within the past year. In Saratoga County, 49 percent of youth in grades 7-12 have gambled in the past year. In a previous study conducted by OASAS in 2006, 10 percent of youth had problems with gambling and another 10 percent were at risk for developing a problem. Males were four times as likely as females to experience a problem.
Gambling addiction affects individuals and their loved ones, but New Yorkers need to know that help and hope is available. Individuals can get help by calling the state's toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day a week HOPEline, 1-877-8-HOPENY, staffed by trained clinicians ready to answer questions, help refer loved ones to treatment and provide other vital resources to facilitate that first step into recovery.