This leads to increased costs for incarceration. We also know that children are exposed to gambling in many different forms, such as spreads on football games, horse racing and on television. In a survey conducted by Doctor Lesieur, in conjunction with the Council, there was evidence that children start gambling in grade school. Sports betting is the most popular gambling activity in high school. The survey also indicated that 20 percent of students had family disruption due to gambling, ten percent obtained money illegally to finance their gambling, and 84 percent were considered problem gamblers and fit the criteria for compulsive gambling.
Adolescents gamble illegally on lotteries, at race tracks and in casinos.
The Lesieur research indicates that teenagers who gamble have more arguments with parents and others, have poorer school performance, misuse money, including their lunch money, borrow and steal disproportionate to their peers, participate in drug sales and have higher suicide attempts. New Jersey is also the first state to issue a certificate to counselors to provide compulsive gambling counseling. The Council provides that 24-hour help line for our residents and, in fact, in 1997 there were 26,000 calls to that help line. It is anticipated this number will exceed 30,000 in 1998. This help line will also allow us to conduct a survey with callers to find out more specific problems about the nature of gambling problems in the state.