WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	The Dangers of March Madness (Hartford-WTNH) _More and more people are taking a gamble with their own lives as sports gambling is on the rise in Connecticut. Dan used to take advantage of that trend on Connecticut's college campuses. Dan, Former Bookie: "It just got out of control snow ball and got bigger and bigger and bigger and after everything was said and done I was 50 thousand dollars in debt." While in college, Dan was a bookie running a $200 thousand a year criminal enterprise, he never got caught. Dan: "We did Quinnipiac, Hartford, Fairfield, Southern, Central. We did it all." Dan has now recovered, but says gambling is a huge problem on college campuses, especially during tournament times, when people would bet big money to get into the college hoop action. Dan: "We used to take thousands a night from these people during the NCAA tournament." His lifestyle in college was a far cry from the modest means he lives by today. Dan: "I drove around in a Corvette, I had a Rolex, my friend and I would fly first class to Colorado." But college students aren't the only ones who are gambling, police say it starts when kids are in elementary school. Lt. Jim Bergen, West Hartford Police: "Little bets that are made in the playground over lunch money or over some personal items." Lieutenant Jim Bergen says the West Hartford police department is starting up a program targeting 9th graders next fall. Lt. Bergen: "We are going to try and reach kids who might not have gambled, or may have gambled, and show them how catastrophic it can be." And nobody knows that better than this former bookie, who finally had to go to his parents to pay off the loan sharks. Dan: "My parents were in awe. I said mom, dad, if I don't have this money I'm dead." Dan hasn't placed a bet in a year. He is speaking out because he says if he can change just one students mind about the dangers of gambling, he feels he's done a public service. If you think you or someone you know has a gambling problem click here for help Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

The Dangers of March Madness
(Hartford-WTNH) _More and more people are taking a gamble with their own lives as sports gambling is on the rise in Connecticut.

Dan used to take advantage of that trend on Connecticut's college campuses.

Dan, Former Bookie: "It just got out of control snow ball and got bigger and bigger and bigger and after everything was said and done I was 50 thousand dollars in debt."

While in college, Dan was a bookie running a $200 thousand a year criminal enterprise, he never got caught.

Dan: "We did Quinnipiac, Hartford, Fairfield, Southern, Central. We did it all."

Dan has now recovered, but says gambling is a huge problem on college campuses, especially during tournament times, when people would bet big money to get into the college hoop action.

Dan: "We used to take thousands a night from these people during the NCAA tournament."

His lifestyle in college was a far cry from the modest means he lives by today.

Dan: "I drove around in a Corvette, I had a Rolex, my friend and I would fly first class to Colorado."

But college students aren't the only ones who are gambling, police say it starts when kids are in elementary school.

Lt. Jim Bergen, West Hartford Police: "Little bets that are made in the playground over lunch money or over some personal items."

Lieutenant Jim Bergen says the West Hartford police department is starting up a program targeting 9th graders next fall.

Lt. Bergen: "We are going to try and reach kids who might not have gambled, or may have gambled, and show them how catastrophic it can be."

And nobody knows that better than this former bookie, who finally had to go to his parents to pay off the loan sharks.

Dan: "My parents were in awe. I said mom, dad, if I don't have this money I'm dead."

Dan hasn't placed a bet in a year. He is speaking out because he says if he can change just one students mind about the dangers of gambling, he feels he's done a public service.

If you think you or someone you know has a gambling problem click here for help

Today's News Page.

WTNH Home Page.