HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS ---WRITING A
PAPER ON GAMBLING ADDICTION OR THE
HISTORY OF GAMBLING?
HERE IS A NEW SECTION OF THIS WEBSITE
THAT WILL HELP YOU FIND THE
INFORMATION YOU NEED ABOUT…
GAMBLING ADDICTION– Everything You’ve Wanted
to Know But Couldn’t Find Out
According to information reported by the National Academy Press in Washington,
D.C., you will learn that…

It is estimated that in 1997, American collectively wagered more than
$551 billion….learn more…

Over 80% of American adults now report having gambled sometime
during their lifetime…learn more…

The availability of legal gambling has increased sharply in the past
20 years. More people are gambling, and they are wagering more…learn
more…

The earlier one starts to gamble, the more likely one is to become a
pathological gambler…learn more…

Pathological gamblers are more likely than non pathological
gamblers to report that their parents were pathological
gamblers…learn more…

Pathological gambling often occurs with other behavioral problems
including substance abuse…learn more…

An estimated 1.5% of adults in the US, at some time in their lives, have
been pathological gamblers. It is estimated that…learn more…

An accurate examination of the costs of pathological gambling
requires an assessment of the costs and benefits of gambling generally.
Gambling appears to have…learn more…

Advances in computer and telecommunications technology have
increased the availability of gambling. New technology holds the potential
to…learn more…
History of Gambling in the United States
According to information from the California State Government library on the
history of gambling in the United States, you can learn about how gambling
activities ebbed and flowed throughout our country’s history.

Lotteries Used to Bail Out the Early Colonies. Although the financial
backers of the colonies viewed gambling as a source of the colonies'
problems, they began to see it as the solution as well…learn more…

Gold Rush Set Off a Gambling Boom in California. The gold rush
brought a huge increase in the amount and types of gambling to
California. San Francisco replaced New Orleans as the center for
gambling in the United States. The market for gambling space was so
strong that a mere canvas tent, 15 by 25 feet, cost $40,000 annually,
payable in advance with gold dust…..learn more…

The Prohibition Did Not Eliminate Gambling But Drove it
Underground. Even in California, where most gambling was illegal, the
first slot machine was invented and premiered in San Francisco in 1895. 17
It was not specifically outlawed until 1911….learn more…

The great depression led to a much greater legalization of gambling.
The antigambling mood changed as tremendous financial distress gripped
the country, especially after the stock market crash of 1929. Legalized
gambling was looked upon as a way to stimulate the economy.
Massachusetts decriminalized bingo in 1931 in an attempt to help
churches and charitable organizations raise money. Bingo was legal in 11
states by the 1950s, usually only for charity purposes….learn more…

Nevada Legalized Most Forms of Gambling in the State in
1931…learn more…

Lotteries Begin Their Resurgence. From 1894 to 1964, there were no
legal government-sponsored lotteries operating in the United
States…learn more…
For additional information about help for a
gambling problem in Minnesota, call the
Minnesota Problem Gambling Helpline at
1.800.333.HOPE