Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

State says more youngsters are having gambling problems

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- Some children as young as 15 have been turning to state experts for help in dealing with their gambling problems.

Chris Armentano, director of the Problem Gambling Services for the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, said 11 children under the age of 18 are enrolled in the state's treatment programs for gambling problems.

Armentano attributes the situation to the growing popularity of poker. He also has concerns about the growing use of Internet gambling sites.

"I believe most all of them started playing poker and then moved on to other things," Armentano said. "Our youngest was gambling online and created a significant amount of debt and ended up stealing from neighbors."

archive