Stephen Katz was a
gambler.
Even while wishing he could quit the expensive
habit, Katz still gambled, hoping he might
someday get lucky and strike it rich.
“It is despicable how the gambling industry
preys on people, especially young people,”
Katz, who gambled as a teenager, said.
Katz finally decided he had to quit
gambling. So he began to take notes on the
addiction, hoping to find the knowledge he
needed to quit.
Eventually, Katz quit, but he couldn’t stop
there.
“Even though I stopped gambling,” Katz said,
“it was my duty to inform others about what I
had learned. It is my ‘calling.’”
And so Katz has published a book called
“Gambling Facts and Fictions.”
Nathan Atkinson and Krystle Russin wanted to
learn about the man behind the book so we held
an email interview with Katz. Here’s what we
found out:
Q: Where did you gain the experience enabling
you to write this book?
Katz: The experience was gained over the
years from gambling many times at a variety of
gambling establishments.
Q: Do you think that a book can help people
quit gambling?
Katz: By thoroughly detailing what gambling
is really all about, and getting people to
understand the realities and consequences of
gambling, a book can help people quit
gambling.
Q: Why do you think it is important for
people to stop gambling?
Katz: Gambling is a waste of money, time and
life. It is important for people to stop
gambling to save their hard-earned or
inherited money. It is also important for
people to stop gambling because gambling
detracts from family and friends, jobs and
businesses, socially redeeming activities, and
real ways of fun, recreation and
entertainment.
Q: What do you believe the government should
do about gambling?
Katz: The government should do everything
possible to prevent the spread of gambling and
to make it illegal. Gambling is not only a
moral issue but a financial issue as well.
Studies have shown for every dollar in revenue
taken in by the government from gambling, that
approximately two to three dollars are spent
on infrastructure and social programs.
Gambling is always a money losing proposition,
even for taxpayers who are not gamblers.
President Reagan stated that the Soviet Union
was an "Evil Empire." Not equating the
gambling industry with the Soviet Union, but
the gambling industry could also be referred
to as an "Evil Empire" because of their greedy
desire of expansion at the expense of harming
and destroying many millions of lives. The
further they expand, then the more lives which
are harmed and destroyed just like an "Evil
Empire." The government must do its part to
help stop this "Evil Empire."
Q: How did you do research for the book? Did
you use statistics, and did you visit casinos
to learn more? Did you gamble?
Katz: For many years it was searched for
various systems and techniques trying to make
money gambling. Statistics were used, visits
were made to gambling businesses such as
casinos, and much gambling was done. A
positive approach was taken with gambling in
an attempt to win money. It was finally
realized that there cannot be a positive
approach to gambling. Realistically, only a
negative approach should be taken with
gambling because gambling is such a totally
negative activity.
Q: How many people did you meet that were
affected badly by gambling? How many were
pro-gambling, and what were the reasons that
your sources used for supporting it?
Katz: Over the years, thousands of gamblers
were met who were affected badly by gambling.
Gambling to them was a bad habit or addiction.
Most, if not virtually all people who gamble
on a regular basis at casinos, racetracks,
internet websites, etc., are addicted to
gambling whether wanting to admit it or not.
Many gamblers are not really pro-gambling.
Gamblers abhor gambling for what it has cost
them. Gamblers are only pro-gambling in the
sense that they continue the bad habit or
addiction of gambling thinking that maybe next
time gambling they could get lucky.
Pro-gambling taxpayers usually are not
gamblers. These taxpayers often have the
notion that taxes will decrease when
government gets its share of the money lost by
gamblers. That is why pro-gambling taxpayers
support gambling. But the facts are that
gambling will actually cause taxes to
increase.
Q: What were some of the side effects you
found from gambling addictions?
Katz: Gambling long enough by anyone will
result in all money, credit and assets being
lost. The side effects include family
breakups, homelessness, destitution, and crime
sometimes leading to prison. Another side
effect is suicide. Gambling addiction has the
highest suicide rate of all other addictions,
including drug addiction. Gambling addiction
has been shown in studies to be similar to
drug addiction. Drugs such as marijuana,
cocaine and heroin are illegal, and gambling
should be illegal for similar reasons.
Q: What have you heard from people about your
book? Has it been doing well?
Katz: The book has been well received around
the world. Religious and community groups,
schools, and organizations are using the book
to educate their members and students.
Individuals are using the book to educate
themselves and their children, family and
friends. All interested people, especially
teenagers, have found the book to be an
effective prevention tool against gambling.
People are being helped and getting guidance
in the right direction so that they can stop
gambling or never start gambling, become
better citizens and improve their lives.
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Stephen Katz