Hilbert’s article puts emphasis on how gambling is a continuous, often invisible, presence in the family, sometimes bringing happiness, sadness, or angriness within the home. She expounds on how families experiencing financial problems due to gambling addiction moves frequently, resulting in exposure to new neighborhood, and schools within a short period of time. Yet, unlike growing up in a neighborhood where poverty is endemis, in the home of a problem gambler the child acknowledges, although it is understood, someone is to blame. Hilbert also talks about the highly publicized cases of child abandonment and children being left unsupervised while their parents gamble.
