Casinos, Hearts, Poker, Black Jack, Slot Machines. I could get tired naming the many ways to gamble these days. It's a serious problem that doesn't seem to receive the attention it deserves. Yes, there are a lot of people who are married to gamblers. But what happens when you're dating one?

My boyfriend, Danny, enjoys gambling. At first it didn't bother me much. In the beginning, I thought, "We're just dating. It can't affect our relationship that much. Can it?"

I was wrong. It affected our relationship in so many ways. First, we stopped spending as much time together. We went from being together every single day to three times a week for about three hours at a time, if I got lucky. On the weekends, if Danny were to come at all, he would leave by 8:30 p.m. to go gamble with his friends.

Staff writer, Sylvia Mayorga, 16. Meet Sylvia.

Speaking Up

I know that no relationship is perfect, but in my eyes, my relationship is as close to perfect as you can get. I didn't want gambling to spoil my Romeo and Juliet dream come true. So what did I do? What any smart female would do. I sat down, spoke honestly with my boyfriend, and let him know exactly how I felt.

At first, Danny denied it.

"I don't consider myself a gambler," he said, echoing the universal quote from gamblers.

"Gambling isn't only fun and interesting, it's a rush," he told me. "You put your money on the line each hand you play. You can double up and come up a winner or lose all your money."

Sure sounded like a gambler to me.

One of Many

Danny is not alone. A recent University of Florida study found that 70 percent of teens ages 13-17 reported they had gambled during their lifetime. The median age for starting to gamble was 12 and a half years old. But just 3.8 percent of respondents seemed to have a serious gambling problem, the study found. That means, of course, that you can gamble without being an addict.

Problems crop up when a gambler constantly "chases their losses," trying to win back what they've lost. They also start to risk relationships and need to borrow money to pay off gambling debts.

Making Changes

While many other teens gamble, my immediate problem was dealing with my boyfriend's growing problem. So I told Danny how I felt. It wasn't only the money that he loses that bothers me, I told him. It was the time he spends gambling and how he puts his gaming ahead of our relationship.

It wasn't easy to deal with, but I knew Danny had great potential, if he could just steer clear of the poker table. He works and attends a university. He is a very accomplished person and, as his girlfriend, I believe he can achieve great things in college and work.

In sitting down and talking to him calmly about the problem, I tried to help him understand how his gambling affected me, others around him, and our relationship.

It worked. He listened. He realized how I felt and I've noticed that his poker dates have become less frequent. He told me he's letting go of this "hobby" and will focus more on what's really important, like his future. Writing this story opened new doors for me. Hopefully, it will do the same for you.

Do You Have a Gambling Problem?

1. Have you often gambled longer than you had planned?
2. Have you often gambled until your last dollar was gone?
3. Have thoughts of gambling have caused you to lose sleep?
4. Have you used your income or savings to gamble while letting bills go unpaid?
5. Have you made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to stop gambling?
6. Have you broken the law or considered breaking the law to finance your gambling?
7. Have you borrowed money to finance your gambling?
8. Have you felt depressed or suicidal because of your gambling losses?
9. Have you been remorseful after gambling?
10. Have you gambled to get money to meet your financial obligations?

If you or someone you know answered "yes" to any of these questions, consider seeking assistance from a professional on gambling behavior. For more info, call the National Council on Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700, or click here.

Source: National Council on Problem Gambling