An article in the Orange High School (Cleveland, OH) student newspaper states, "Texas Hold'em (a form of poker) has swept across the school and turned OHS into a mini Las Vegas casino ... Hands range from $5 up to $50 and up ... it is not unusual for students to lose a couple of hundred dollars during one class period. This game is against school rules, but the rule is rarely enforced ..."
This is a quote from yet another article written recently about the growing problem of teenage gambling and where it can lead. This one was published in of all places the Cleveland JewishNews.Com website. Even the lead paragraph in the article is intriguing:
"As if sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll were not enough to keep today's parents reaching for the Maalox and the roots of their hair, add another element to the potent mix in teenage gambling."
Of all the quotes, these are my favorite:
"We are dealing with the first generation of teens presented with an unprecedented level of gambling opportunities," says Dr. Lori Rugel, president of the Ohio Council on Problem Gambling and coordinator of the Veteran's Administration gambling treatment program.
"The teenage gambling addiction crisis we are uncovering is just the tip of a potentially catastrophic iceberg," she adds. "The powerful, tantalizing allure of Internet gambling and the Texas Hold'em poker craze that has swiftly moved from frat houses and dorm rooms to the bedrooms of middle school students means addictive life-altering gambling opportunities abound among adolescents."
I hope she is proven wrong, but I am worried she is not.
John
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