Although teen-agers are quick to admit they know someone who has bought lottery tickets or bet on sports games, they don't see this as an addictive behavior. I know some people who play the lottery. According to many experts, teens and adults do not recognize that gambling cannot only addictive, but cause monetary and emotional problems as well. Carchidi said it is too easy for younger teens to buy lottery tickets, adding that sports betting might be more addictive because the chances o9f winning are better than with the lottery or scratch tickets. While lottery tickets are off limits to those under 18, that law isn't being enforced, according to some teens.
Some kids look old enough.
And at 18, Ismael Martir is old enough to by lottery tickets, something he does regularly. He also bets while playing pool. Despite his hopes of hitting the lotto and his hobby as a pool shark, Martir said he doesn't see these behaviors as a problem, which is what researchers and addictive behavior experts fear. The Prevention Researcher newsletter, which reports on topics ranging from teen suicide to tattooing and body piercing, chose the topic of problem gambling for its winter issue. The problem exists in Connecticut, said Marvin Steinberg, executive director of the Connecticut Council on problem Gambling.