San Francisco (KGO) — “These games, it felt like crack cocaine. It was like fun.”
The increase in online gambling is causing problems of betting by young people, especially teenage boys. The parents we interviewed had no idea how bad their child’s gambling addiction had become. In some cases, years passed before they knew. ABC7’s Eyewitness News I-Team is working on a project with ABC News called “In Action: The Rise of Youth Gambling.”
Kurt Freudenberg tells us that the first seeds of his gambling addiction were planted when he was just 11 years old. He wasn’t hiding in a casino, rolling the dice or playing the slots. Kurt found a way to make money by selling cosmetic upgrades that he won in a first-person video game, called “Skins”.
Related: ‘Public health crisis’: Experts blame youth gambling in America
Kurt Freudenberg: “If you have a $50 coin, you can convert it into gambling currency on the website and gamble that way.”
Don Noyes: “So it turns into real money.”
Friedenberg: “yes.”
new: “And at 11, you figured it out?”
Friedenberg: “yes.”
Kurt comes from a home with involved parents; He attended Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep in San Francisco where his mother still taught physics. “And we just thought he was playing video games,” Kim Friedenberg said. “He was a normal kid, playing sports in high school, just a normal, normal kid. But behind the scenes, all this is happening and we don’t know anything.”
Kurt’s addiction became so intense over the years that by the time he reached college, he was gambling online all the time on sports, blackjack, roulette—rarely leaving his bedroom. “I won’t be tired. I won’t be hungry. I don’t want to do basic things like shower because I’m gambling. So I’ll gamble 15 hours a day, just in practice.”
He dropped out of college and that’s when his parents made the difficult decision that might save Kurt’s life, to cut him off financially unless he went to rehab.
Kim Friedenberg: “He went to rehab and then it didn’t really work. And then he kind of went back to the same thing. And then we finally just drew the line because he was going really fast.”
new: “So it’s been a tough year though.”
Kim Friedenberg: “It was. Yeah, it was a tough couple of years. Yeah, it was really bad.”
Kurt Freudenberg: “No matter what they did or what they said, or no matter what action they took, I’m going to keep gambling. Like if I’m going to be homeless and keep gambling like I do.”
Friedenberg’s trip reveals a growing and surprising trend. A recent survey of more than 1,000 teenage boys across the country found that 36% of boys will gamble by 2025, including nearly half of 17-year-olds.
Jim Steer is the CEO of Common Sense, a leading advocacy group based out of San Francisco that published the study. “I think the clear message here for parents is that you have to have constant discussions with your kids throughout the day, not just about media and technology, but now about the gambling factor,” he said.
We reached out to some of the biggest online gaming companies for comment, including FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM. They referred us to a trade group, the Sports Betting Alliance, which said youth betting on these platforms was not tolerated.
Joe Maloney, a spokesman for the Sports Betting Association, said, “This is a violation of the terms of service, and we are not involved in parent or child communication here, but we are very clear. This is a product for adults and adults only.”
Take action: Get help with your gambling addiction
Dr. Nasir Naqvi runs Columbia University’s Gambling Disorders Clinic. “One of the problems with online sports betting and online gambling in general is that it’s much harder to verify the age of the person doing it than if you go to a racetrack and try to bet there,” he told ABC News.
Naqvi said that they are suffering from serious addiction of 13-year-old children, which has the same effect on the brain as drug addiction. “This is a public health crisis. In fact, it’s already here.”
Friedenberg hopes their crisis is behind them. Kim has started a non-profit called “Parents Stand Together” to spread the word about the dangers and harms of gambling to youth. She has also started gambling addiction seminars at Sacred Heart Church and other schools. “So here’s what we do. What gambling is and what it does to your brain, how gambling can be dangerous, warning signs of harm and what to do if you suspect a problem,” she told the class at a recent session.
And Kurt is on the mend, hasn’t bet in two years. He returned to college, majoring in psychiatry. He wants to research gambling addiction and help others who have been affected by it.
new: “So, Kurt, if you could talk to a teenager, maybe even your 11-year-old self, what would you want them to know?”
Friedenberg: “I would tell them that gambling is like a drug. It’s the same. It works on the brain, like a drug, and it will ruin your life. And I know from first hand experience, I give up every good thing in my life just to get another bet.”
new: “Seeing him now and where he is, it must be a good thing for you as a mother.”
Friedenberg: “No, it’s really exciting. And I’m so proud of him, so proud of him to talk because it’s not easy.”
Kim tells the I-Team it’s important for parents to include gambling on the list of topics to discuss with your children. Kurt says he got involved with Gamblers Anonymous and it was very helpful as he faced challenges in his recovery. For more coverage of ABC News’ investigation into the growing link between youth gambling and gambling addiction, tune into Prime with Lindsay Davis on ABC News Live.
Online sports gambling is legal in 32 states and Washington DC, but California is not one of them. Even so, experts said many teenagers still find ways to bet, likely using offshore, unregulated platforms. Some even access legitimate sportsbooks using a VPN.
Legal online sports betting platforms maintain strict controls to prevent underage users from accessing their site, using mandatory age verification tools as well as data such as bank account information and social security numbers.
Check out more stories from the ABC7 News I-Team.
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