Parents Leaving Children In Car While Gambling Becoming A Problem

Casinos and state governments have made advancements that are keeping deadbeat parents from collecting on winning jackpots. The next issue the casinos may tackle is the growing trend of parents leaving children in the car while they go in a casino to gamble.

The trend is one that is sweeping across the US. The intention is usually to go inside the casino, play the slot machines for a few minutes, and return to the car. Too often, however, the parents are staying in the casino for hours and the children are being found by security guards.

The latest episode came on Thursday in Pennsylvania when Sharon Balek was charged with child endangerment. Her children, eight and fifteen years of age, had been left in the car for six hours while Balek was in the casino gambling. This is a growing problem that authorities are concerned about.

"We've had calls through the years with kids left in shopping centers, but what's making this hot is that we've had five in just a two month period," said Fred Harran, public safety director in Bensalem, as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer. "The gambling addiction, the glitter of it all, people go in to gamble and forget the kids. I just don't get it."

Perhaps Harran does not understand gambling addiction, but several problem gambling counselors warn that family abandonment can be part of the process. The casinos are also on the lookout for any behavior that seems suspicious while patrons gamble inside the establishments.

There have been some extreme cases where the children left in the car are unable to even walk or talk. Children as young as fifteen months have been found in cars while their parents are inside the casino. In other cases, older children have been left in the automobiles until way after midnight.

Several states in the US have recently changed their laws to prevent parents who owe back child support from collecting jackpots. The jackpot winners are checked against a database carrying the names of people who owe support. If the jackpot winner's name is on the list, they are denied the winnings.

August 15, 2010
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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