By Forum Staff
State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Woodhaven) last month hosted special responsible gaming awareness presentations at Maspeth High School.
The guest speakers were Robin Singh, team leader of the Queens Problem Gambling Resource Center at the New York Council on Problem Gambling and Ike Dweck, a recovering gambling addict and the founder and CEO of the Safe Foundation.
“Responsible gaming is about understanding the real risks, the potential consequences, and where to find help if you need it,” Addabbo said. “By learning now, you’ll be able to make informed choices, set smart limits, and build healthy habits that will serve you long after your time at school.”
Singh began his portion of the presentation by explaining the definition of gambling. It involves risking something of value on a chance-based activity with the goal of achieving a desired payout. Problem gambling can lead to serious negative consequences, such as lying or stealing to settle debts or losing money that was intended for necessities like bills or rent.
Singh also explained the “gambling spectrum,” which ranges from no gambling to social gambling, then to problem gambling, and ultimately to gambling disorder. The distinction between social and problem gambling can become unclear in aspects like motivations for gambling, expectations, how time and money are handled, reactions to losses, and the level of honesty about the behavior.
He added that gambling is one of the addictions that has one of the highest suicide rates.
“The only way to avoid losing is not to play,” Singh advised.
Dweck, a recovering gambling addict, spoke about how he started gambling as a 10-year-old pitching quarters between classes at school and spiraled downward by betting on sporting events, horse racing and at casinos, losing hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of more than a decade before hitting rock bottom and quitting on Nov. 3, 1987, but not before owing large amounts of money to the mafia and trying to commit suicide by driving off the Verrazano Bridge.
“I lost my reputation. I lost all my money,” Dweck said. “It took me 10 years to pay people back, and I wanted to make sure that I paid everybody back. My reputation was in the garbage because I lied, manipulated, stole, and cheated people just to get money. I spent 10 years thinking about what I had done to others.”
He noted that he still attends Gamblers Anonymous meetings today, even though he hasn’t placed a bet since Nov. 3, 1987. After quitting gambling, he eventually found success by owning and operating several sneaker stores, and later founded The Safe Foundation in 2003, which has assisted 11,000 individuals with issues related to drugs, alcohol, and gambling.
“The only way to make money is to work hard,” Dweck said. “When you try to take shortcuts, that’s when all hell breaks loose.”
Addabbo thanked the NYCPG, Safe Foundation, and Maspeth High School for collaborating to educate young people about problem gaming.
To view video from the gaming presentation at Maspeth High School, visit Addabbo’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/8VJKY_4-k_k?si=s15Q27z74UBJ6YVX.
