Effect of Gambling to British Teenagers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Effect of Gambling to British Teenagers - Essay Example The relationship between the two is very closely related because of nature of the hobby. One of the main reasons why teenagers turn to other criminal activity is because they need money. The easiest and fastest way to make money for gambling is stealing. There are many different level of stealing first of teenage gamblers steal money from family, mothers purses, fathers wallet or siblings piggy banks. This happens because parents and family members are against the idea of gambling and will not fund it therefore turn to unethical measures. More extreme cases have stolen from shops, other people and houses. The other main problem with teenage gambling is that it is associated with vices such as drinking, drugs and sex. Being underage and following the gambling life style will eventually lead you to problems such as alcoholism etc. In casinos they encourage drinking therefore being in that environment will lead you down that path. In 2002, the British government released a report regarding the proposed changes in the UK gambling law. It is a change that is expected to elevate the annual sum gambled in Britain to more than 60bn from 42bn a year (BBC News). The Gambling Act 2005 also called the Gambling Bill is a response to the Gambling Review Report made by the Department of Culture, Media and Sports in 2001 (Gamingfloor.com). One of the objectives of the Gambling Act 2005 is to prevent "gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime" (UK Parliament). The Act "mainly applies to England and Wales, and to Scotland, and is designed to control all forms of gambling" (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). The Act only entered into force in September 2007 (Sprecher Grier Halberstam LLP). "Some provisions of the bill faced controversy, particularly in its original form, where it would have allowed large numbers of so-called 'super casinos' to have been set up" (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). "The Act also specifically regulates internet gambling for the first time" (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). The law was basically aimed at restricting other activities but it has paved way for more casinos in Britain. Particularly, it will allow casinos with up to 1250 slot machines and unlimited jackpots. (BBC News). The Facts on Gambling Upon the announcement of the Bill, BBC News made an investigation about the status of gambling in UK and the gambling habits of Britons in 2002. In 2002, it was found out that "Six out of ten adults in the UK spend up to 50 each month gambling on sporting events or the Lotto, according to government figure" and that "the industry is already worth 42bn a year" (BBC News). Some of the gambling activities subscribed by the British are Lotto, Bingo, Slot Machines, Casinos, Betting and Internet Betting. It is estimated that "more than 30 million people regularly buy a ticket for the Lotto" with around 4.983 million tickets sold in the years 2000-2001 according to the National Lottery Commission (BBC News). "The UK