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Gambling Boys
Monday March 1 at 10 pm ET/PT & Sunday March 7 at 8 pm ET on CBC News Network
Welcome to the first generation of teens that has grown up in a time of legalized gambling, with a computer in just about every home, with online poker just a click away. Whether rolling the dice on the playground, betting on the outcome of the next game between classes or staying up all night to play poker online, gambling is surprisingly an everyday part of the lives of many teens. Gambling Boys dives in to the world of teen gambling, a world that offers excitement, the potent allure of making big money, and as many are discovering, the potential for serious addiction problems.
With the barrage of marketing campaigns, television coverage of poker tournaments, and easy access to online gaming, it is no surprise that teens are increasingly affected. Experts are finding that the rate of problem gamblers among young people is two to four times higher than for adults.
Gambling Boys features three youths ranging in age from 14 to 20 years old.
The youngest, Dakota, just started online poker. He loves to play, to the point that his mother must strictly limit his time on the computer or he would be on all day - and night. She knows her son is competitive, whether he is bowling, running a track race, or at the poker table. She also thinks if you over-protect a child he won't develop his own limits.
Jamie, 20 years old, lost two years of high school due to his poker addiction. He spent his days and nights at the nearby casino, or in the school's cafeteria, instead of attending classes. Recently back in school, he is using his head for numbers and taking an accounting course. He still gambles and thinks he has it under control, but as he says, "Once an addict, always an addict."
And then there's Clifford, eighteen, just out of high school and two months into his rehab program. His problem is sports betting. He loved to place bets, often up to $10,000 a day. He is great with numbers, running multiple bets with multiple bookies, never writing anything down, calculating everything in his head. Finally, he knew he had to stop. Threats from bookies and a near financial catastrophe during Super Bowl weekend, led him to talk to his teacher and find help. With the support of his mother, who had never worried about gambling, just drugs and alcohol, Clifford hopes his gambling is behind him. He also admits, if he starts gambling again, his life will be over.
Interwoven throughout are lively interviews with high school students, a debt collector who knows exactly what's happening when kids get in over their heads, and the passionate story of Did, a recovered gambler who now speaks to high school kids about his experiences and a life-threatening incident that changed him forever.
Gambling Boys, directed and written by Laura Turek, offers a poignant and lively picture of teens' fascination with gambling and the harsh consequences of getting hooked. The film was produced by Sally Bochner and Tamara Lynch, and the executive producers are Mila Aung Thwin and Daniel Cross. Gambling Boys was produced by EyeSteel Film (Montreal), in association with CBC News Network.
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