- An ABC News Investigative Unit and more sources revealed that there’s been a huge rise in youth gambling in North Carolina and throughout the United States over the past few years.
- A man named Saul Malek is touring the country to warn young people about the dangers of online gambling.
- An 11-year-old from California was gambling thousands of dollars in just sixth grade.
SAN FRANCISCO – Online sports betting expansion in North Carolina and throughout the United States is tied to a rising number of teenagers with a gambling addiction. The ABC News Investigative Unit and ABC11 found that 28% of young people in North Carolina have participated in sports betting or casino-style gambling.
The Journal of Behavioral Addictions emphasized that adolescent brain development makes them more vulnerable to develop gambling addictions. That is supported by data that shows nearly 7% of “young people” who gambled have also developed a gambling disorder. The addictive nature of North Carolina sports betting and gambling across other states is dangerous for young people, like Saul Malek.
Malek talked at a private school in Cleveland about his youth gambling experience, sharing that a $10 bet on baseball in his teenage years led to him being $25,000 in debt when he was 21 years old. He warned high schoolers and middle schoolers of his online gambling habit that he developed during that time of his life, which is becoming even more prominent among young boys today.
According to a survey published by Common Sense Media, 36% of U.S. boys ranging from 11 to 17 years old have gambled within the past year. Close to half (49%) of people age 17 gambled within the last year, compared to 32% of those age 11.
California Boy Addicted To Gambling At 11 Years Old
Kurt Freudenberg is a real-life example of these statistics, claiming that he was betting thousands of dollars on online casino games as a sixth grader. As he entered high school, Freudenberg bet on basketball and football games at CA betting apps and won up to $5,000 on a single bet.
His parents only caught on to his gambling when he went to college, where Freudenberg’s gambling addiction kept him from attending class and even basic hygiene. He’s since gotten treatment, has been sober for two years, and is back in college studying psychology.
