Last week I was talked some basic things about cybersex and pornography. In the same situation, I’m going to talk about online gambling, because this habit is also one of the reasons that people will become addicted when using internet. Online gambling is an addiction that hard to quit by long term. And it is also easier be in touch with that as you have internet access and it is on by 24 hours non-stop. That’s why a lot of people can’t quit the addiction successfully and the number of people who online gambling is still increasing now. In the below, I’ll show a news about a person who call Mark Erickson was addicted in online gambling.
Jan.1 2006
Mark Erickson always craved a piece of the action – so the accountant from Phoenix started betting on sports over the Internet. But soon, it spiraled and out of control.
“I’ve heard other people compare it to a cocaine addiction, the high you get from that, and that’s the euphoria I felt,” he said. “It becomes an all-consuming activity. The lining up the money, the handicapping of the game, the betting of the game, the watching of the game. Win or lose, it didn’t matter to me, it just set me up to bet again.”
Three and half years ago, Erickson accrued 400,000 US dollar in gambling debts. Desperate, he began stealing from his clients. And when they caught on, he left his family and fled. “I became this person I didn’t know,” he said. “But I thought this must be what I have to do. I got myself into this, I got to get myself out of it.
The situation became so dire, that Erickson contemplated killing himself. He considered going to Mexico and if he couldn’t kill himself there, he’d pay someone else to do it, he said.
Erickson is a compulsive gambler, a condition just as dangerous and debilitating as drug or alcohol addiction. There are an estimated 6 million people who deal with the problem in the US. As gambling on the Internet becomes more popular and more sites crop up, those numbers are expected to increase.
“I think it’s a devastating illness, it’s an illness that if it’s not treated, it will end up that the person’s whole lifestyle will be affected,” said Ed Looney, executive director of Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey.
The problem is affecting younger people as well. Drawn in by the popularity of poker, half of all men in college are gambling on a monthly basis -- even though betting on sports is illegal everywhere in the US .except Nevada.
Nevertheless, the industry rakes in mind-blogging amounts of cash. By some estimates, 7 billion US dollars is wagered on the Super Bowl alone in casinos, online and with bookies.
It is now high season for sports betting. The college bowl games this weekend lead to the NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl. Then, it’s March Madness, where many participate in an office betting pool.
“Sporting betting is the rock of Gibraltar,” Looney said. “it’s American, like apple pie. That will always be there. People love to bet on it. People love to bet on their football games.”
After 23 days in the run, Erickson turned himself in. He served a year in prison and now works for a compulsive gambling helpline. He credits a 12-step program to helping him overcome his problem, and he has not gambled in almost four years.
“Life is great,” Erickson said. “The miracles I’ve experienced. The sharing of experiences with friends, family, like I’ve never seen before. These are things that I avoided my whole life, not choosing to be a part of, but today I cherish them.”
After read this news, what is inside your mind about online gambling? Give some comments for discussing. Thank you.
Troy Davis-"online gambling-a growing addiction"
