Interesting TV ad I saw today

[Aleo]

Watching TV today and noticed an ad for the following website

Not a game

Be sure to click on the 'current tv ad' at the bottom of that page to see what I'm talking about.

Interesting. Don't get me wrong, they are targeting the ads at 'youth gambing' and thats ok. I suppose 13yr olds gambling really is a pretty bad thing, but I can't help thinking this has negative repercussions for poker and is actually about more than just youth gamblers.

The problem to me is that in the ad, they are specifically playing poker, and there is literally no mention at all that poker could actually be ok, even for adults. Not to mention the fact that they associate poker with some really bad things, like gang fights for example, which is pretty dumb if you ask me.

Now that I think of it, I'm also reminded of the episode of ER I saw some weeks ago where a mother kills herself because she loses all her family's money playing online poker.

Times are changing. I guess its not really news, but poker sure seems to have lost the PR war.

Brad S

[viper930]

wow, that just made me want to vomit. how stupid can these people possibly get?

[kidpokeher]

Hmm... I can't see it on the site. Noticed the site's put together by Washington State Dept of Health & Human Services, tho.

[Aleo]

Video

lets see if this works

[_Towelie_]

[ QUOTE ]
wow, that just made me want to vomit. how stupid can these people possibly get?

[/ QUOTE ]

Didn't you see the diabolical looking Joker in the upper left corner on the page? Gambling is obviously a sentient social evil that targets youth and it should be outlawed forever.

Seriously though, the way they connect gambling with drugs, gangs, guns, etc is so ludicrous it makes me want to vomit too. I don't deny that there may be a correlation, but to blame gambling, instead of the social factors that make all of these vices look attractive to affected youth, is just so [censored] retarded.

[Larr__David]

OMG I am in real danger. Even if I quit today, am I 2 times more likely to get in trouble with police?

[groo]

I'm not a sociologist, but I'd say it's fair to state that youth gambling deserves our attention and concern. I, however, have questions as to the cause and effect mentioned in this ad. I grew up in Reno, I worked in a casino before my 21st birthday. I was a drunk and a thief before I ever played my first slot machine, layed my first sports wager, held my first BJ hand, or put my first money on the pass line. Does gambling cause these other ills, or do these other ills cause gambling? Or heck let's go way out on a limb and ask if it might just be bad parenting? Personally, I think it's more likiely the natural extension of a bright, adventurous and curious mind.

[questions]

Correlation is not causation.

[ QUOTE ]
Now that I think of it, I'm also reminded of the episode of ER I saw some weeks ago where a mother kills herself because she loses all her family's money playing online poker.

[/ QUOTE ]

OMG - are you serious??? Was that discussed here?

Yet, the media pushes "Vegas".

[Aleo]

[ QUOTE ]
Does gambling cause these other ills, or do these other ills cause gambling?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you just put your finger on what bothers me most about this ad.

It seems to be suggesting that, gambling problems aside, the act of gambling will put kids at risk for all these other dangerous/unhealthy/unnaceptable behaviors.

In fact I think it is likely just the opposite. Or, as you suggest, that it is a certain mindset that makes one prone to all these behaviors, probably due to bad parenting, or other bad influences.

Its just amazing to me that this ad isn't even saying that much about problem gambling, but seems to be focusing on problem side effects that may be unrelated to gambling.

Yes, correlation is not causation.

As to the other comment, No, I do not believe that the ER episode was discussed, though I might be wrong. And yes, OMG was my first thought too. Maybe I'll try to find the episode # if anyone wants to know.

Regards
Brad S

edit: ok, its episode 16 season 13 of ER. Titled: Crisis of Conscience.

A woman enters the ER with acute liver failure because she has ingested something to kill herself. She does so because she lost the family's money playing online poker and her sons now hate her.

[repulse]

This is the most disgusting thing I've seen in a long time. I demand that all members of this organization publicly apologize, resign, and take a freshman Statistics course.