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Dangers of Gambling Addiction Are Downplayed by TV Ads
Families disintegrate, homes are lost, and children become a financial burden once gambling addiction strikes, but TV ads are fueling it.
A serious condition, gambling addiction, aka compulsive gambling, can result in ruined finances, strained relationships, and mental health issues. It is now simpler for compulsive gamblers to place bets from their cell phones thanks to the accessibility of gambling through technology, which has added access to the equation. Gambling can also activate the brain’s reward system in a manner similar to that of drugs or alcohol, which can result in addiction.
The sophistication of TV ads for gambling has added to the problem because they depict a life of luxury, fun, and visiting exotic locales—all with plenty of money in hand. Everyone is dressed beautifully, laughing, and seems to be having the time of their lives. There may be a tiny mention at the bottom of the screen about getting help if you have a gambling addiction. Does that seem a bit disingenuous to you? It is a double-bind situation if ever there was one; gambling and having fun, fun, fun, and then going to rehab to try to piece your life back together again.
A popular and potentially addictive form of gambling is scratch cards. Spending money intended for other things on scratch cards, feeling the desire to…
