Nebraska organizations helping prevent, end problem gambling habits

Posted by author December 22, 2024 Gambling

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OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – You could unknowingly be encouraging your child to develop problem gambling behaviors.

It’s at a young age studies show where the issue could develop into something worse.

Growing up in a family of gamblers, incarceration, and addiction, one of those stayed with Mike Sciandra.

“Gambling was the one thing that stuck with me,” Sciandra said.

According to the National Problem Gambling Helpline, up to 10.5 million Americans are estimated to have a problem with gambling. Many of those, studies show, started on average at 10 years old.

“More and more people are having problems with gambling, and so we’re seeing it a younger age,” Prevention Director Lorelle Mueting with the Heartland Family Service said.

That’s when Sciandra got into it.

“I remember starting to bet, playing card games for money, betting on sports when I was nine years old,” Sciandra said.

“So gifting lottery tickets, while it seems really harmless can be a problem for people,” Mueting said.

“As I got older, I thought I would grow out of it,” Sciandra said.

It only got worse.

“Went bankrupt twice. I lost a marriage over it.”

He tried to stop.

“Cut up credit cards, cancelled bank accounts, tried to hide money from myself.”

It wasn’t until he says he had an epiphany playing Keno four years ago he really committed to recovery.

“It got to the point where I was serious about wanting to receive treatment.”

Resources for problem gambling and the confidential crisis hotlines where they provide free resources and hand-offs to local providers can be found below.