The billion-dollar gambling industry is targeting our children and grandchildren on iPhones and video games, warns Jeanne Seaver. Jeanne is the founder of Moms Against Gambling, and having come from a childhood with addicted parents, she knows the dangers and devastation of what any addiction can do to a family. Jeanne is a child advocate and works to educate people on the hazards of what commercialized gambling is doing not just to adults, but also to children. One in five gambling addicts will attempt suicide and that tragic statistic is just one of many dark sides of what gambling does to a person. Jeanne is working to help kids run from the allure of gambling and focus on achieving greater things in life.

TAKEAWAYS

Slot machine games use colorful visuals like Spiderman and Sonic the Hedgehog to lure children into playing

Be proactive instead of reactive to the problem of gambling

Most parents are shocked and unaware when they hear about the reality of gambling games and its subsequent addictions

Playing slot machines will lead to the total destruction of the family if left unchecked

Washington Watch with Tony Perkins

Les Bernal says that there is a core adversarial relationship between the gambling operator and the citizen who uses the system, making gambling one of the most disturbing and predatory addictions in the nation. Les is the national director of Stop Predatory Gambling, a national advocacy of individuals working to stop this damaging epidemic. Les breaks down the history of commercialized gambling in the states and reveals who is behind organizing and protecting the nasty underpinnings of the gambling industry nationwide. Commercialized gambling preys upon low income citizens and today’s technology allows anyone to access fast and easy gambling with just a swipe of their smartphone or tablet.

TAKEAWAYS

There is an epidemic of child gambling, thanks to the predatory advertising methods of casinos and gambling companies

Both political parties are responsible for supporting and covering for the mammoth gambling operators in the US

Commercialized gambling kicked off in the 1930s with the advent of betting on horse racing followed by the launch of Las Vegas

Gambling games on tech gadgets have a purposefully highly addictive quality to them - we have to monitor what our children are exposed to

Gambling has become a massive problem in America today, and unfortunately, this highly addictive industry is targeting a new demographic: children. John Kindt is an authority on the subject of gambling and is a professor of business and legal policy at the University of Illinois. John researches and testifies before Congress and state legislatures on the dangers of gambling addiction and how it destroys the lives of so many people. He breaks down the disturbing underbelly of criminality and sex trafficking that can often be facilitated behind the scenes in American casinos. John also discusses how the US government and Big Tech colluded to make sure that a previous Senate bill that would have protected kids from online gambling - didn’t pass.

TAKEAWAYS

It’s hard to beat the addictive power of online gambling when it’s available at your fingertips on your phone at all times

The government is covering up the evidence of sex trafficking that occurs at casinos

Gambling now targets kids and will wind up devastating future generations if we don’t fight back at the state level

When you advertise gambling and put it everywhere on the Internet, John calls this “fentanyl gambling”

Washington Watch with Tony Perkins

Religious Asylum Update

For 28 years, Pat Loontjer has been fighting to keep the scourge of gambling out of the great state of Nebraska. Pat is the president of “Gambling with the Good Life,” a grassroots organization that has worked to keep addictive gambling epicenters like casinos far away from Nebraskans. She explains the damage that gambling can do to someone’s life and their family and breaks down how she has fought to bring awareness to the issue of gambling. She has also mobilized others to do the same. Casinos prey on the individuals that get addicted, she warns. It is as destructive as any other type of unhealthy addiction, including drugs and alcohol - and now it’s being marketed to young kids online!

TAKEAWAYS

Gambling advertisements have taken over social media and are specifically targeting young kids

Churches have a powerful voice in fighting gambling and would benefit if their members steered clear of gambling

20 percent of US adults who have a gambling problem attempt suicide

To raise awareness about the dangers of gambling addiction, share with teens about the dark side of the industry

Washington Watch with Tony Perkins

Washington Watch with Tony Perkins

We were created by God to be in relationship with others and to have community, Tina Yeager says. Tina is a therapist and the author of Upcycled: Crafted for a Purpose, which walks readers through craft-oriented lessons that foster community teamwork and relational activities. Tina discusses the negative effect that the Covid pandemic had on everyone’s social lives and how parents can help their developmentally stunted kids get up to speed after living through an era of Zoom classes and mask mandates. She breaks down the dangers of too much screen time and gives ideas for outdoor activities and social events to help your kids grow and learn.