Gambling Channel on Tap for Cable
by Jason Collum
January 28, 2004
(AgapePress) - By late 2004, a new cable and satellite TV channel dedicated to gambling will likely be airing across the United States.The Casino and Gaming Television network is in the development stages, with plans calling for it to offer everything from tips on playing poker to tours of casinos around the world. It is likely, however, the channel will not focus on a very real and tragic side of gambling -- the lives, homes and careers destroyed by gambling.
"The gambling addict, if he's honest, will tell you that gambling is a 24-hour-a-day activity, whether he's at the casino or the racetrack or not," said Ron Reno, a special assistant to the chairman of Focus on the Family. He added that it is becoming increasingly difficult for those wanting to quit gambling to escape the activity, as gambling has invaded the home through the Internet and is available even in the corner grocery in the way of lottery tickets.
"I would encourage people to call their local cable company and say, 'We do not want -- and don't think it would be a good idea to have -- this particular channel as part of the [cable] package," said Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association. "It's much easier to keep those kinds of channels off your cable system than it is, once they're on, to get them off."
Jason Collum, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a staff writer for AFA Journal, a monthly publication of the American Family Association. This article appeared originally in the February 2004 issue.
