| Contact: Dacia Morris (212) 543-5421 morrisd@pi.cpmc.columbia.edu |
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POKER EXPLOSION ON TV & INTERNET CREATING YOUNG GAMBLERS, EXPERT SAYS New York, N.Y. (October 20, 2004)—An explosion of poker on television and the Internet will create a new generation of young addicted gamblers, according to the Director of Columbia University Medical Center’s (CUMC) Gambling Clinic. "The popularity of ‘hold em’ poker tournaments on television and the ability to play poker on the Internet may create thousands of new compulsive gamblers," said Dr. Carlos Blanco, head of the free clinic, which is a joint venture of CUMC and the New York State Psychiatric Institute."Gambling addiction is characterized by a chronic and progressive impulse to gamble that disrupts a normal life style. We are seeing the poker craze affect boys starting as young as eight years old. In some cases, it’s replacing baseball and soccer in popularity," Dr. Blanco said. "At many sleep-away camps last summer, young teenage boys played poker for candy bars as one of their main activities.""The vast majority of people who go to casinos or are involved in other forms of gambling control their actions. For them, it’s just a fun experience. But gambling seriously alters the lives of those who get hooked and they will need help," added Dr. Blanco. In a city with more than 250,000 compulsive gamblers, the Columbia clinic is only one of two free options for treatment. Patients who are interested and eligible may also take part in the clinic’s research program. Treatment is available in English or Spanish. Dr. Blanco is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. He has published numerous articles on gambling and was guest editor of the Psychiatric Annals Journal’s issue on pathological gambling.
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