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Teen Gambling and Teen Problem Gambling
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Teen Gambling and Teen Problem Gambling

Teens are attracted to the excitement and financial reward of gambling, and since gambling is easily accessible and socially approved, about three quarters of teens in grades 7 to 12 say that they do, at least occasionally lay a bet. However, teens are at a much greater higher of developing gambling problems and the earlier a teen starts gambling, the greater their risk of a lifetime problem.

By John Lee ·

It’s not surprising that sensation loving teens enjoy the thrill of recreational gambling, and since society seems to condone gambling as an acceptable activity, and since gambling opportunities are so easily found, even for those under the age of 18, it’s not surprising that most are already engaging in at least some amount of gambling.

Yet as much as teens may enjoy the excitement of a wager, few that gamble have any real appreciation of the risks involved.

  • Teens are more likely than adults to develop a gambling problem, and an estimated 10% of teens from grades 7 to 12 are already problem gamblers
  • People that start gambling at a very young age are far more likely to mature into problem or pathological gamblers
  • Teens that become problem gamblers also have higher incidence rates of drug and alcohol abuse, risky sexual behaviors, violent acts, mental illness and school and family problems2

Although we may glamorize gambling in media and though opportunities to place a bet are never far away or hard to find, everyone needs to know that teens that gamble are putting themselves at risk; and that parents who teach their children to abstain or delay gambling do a great deal to reduce the risks of gambling addiction in the family.

Why and Where Do Teens Gamble?

Though most jurisdictions enforce minimum age requirements for gambling, teens and even preteens have very little trouble finding places to lay a bet.

Teens may have trouble gaining entry to a casino, but teens have little difficulty playing lottery or scratch and win cards, wagering at charity events, playing cards for money or betting on sports events or games like pool – and with internet casinos now open for play around the clock, any teen with access to a credit card a bedroom computer can play high stakes card games in complete privacy and anonymity.

Some of the reasons why teens may be attracted to gambling include:

  • It can be fun and exciting
  • Teens have a preference for low effort/high stimulation activities (because of brain development at this life-stage)2
  • There is an opportunity to win large sum of money
  • It is glamorized in movies and on TV
  • Advertising campaigns for lotteries or casinos promote the behavior
  • Society generally condones gambling, as do many parents (Although it’s an addictive behavior, few parents are as worried about gambling as they are about drugs or alcohol use, for example)
  • Teens generally don’t see gambling as a high risk activity3
  • Few prevention programs exist to educate teens to the risks of gambling (unlike prevention programs which warn against drugs, tobacco and alcohol, for example)

Teens are more or less hard-wired to enjoy gambling and they have no trouble finding places to play – and with this combination of attraction and easy availability, it’s not at all surprising that the vast majority of American teens are already gambling. However, since they’re also more likely impulsive and less able to forecast the likely consequences of their action, they are also at much greater risk to become problem gamblers.

Teenage Gambling – How Big Is the Problem?

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) 2006 Survey for Gambling Behaviors and Problem Gambling among Adolescents in New York State provides a good snapshot of the situation nationwide. In 2006, among students from grades 7 to 12:

  • 72% had gambled at least once within 12 months of being surveyed, 34% had gambled within a month and 12% had gambled 4 or more times with a month of being asked
  • Amongst teens who had gambled with the past year, playing the lottery was the most common form of gambling activity (43%) followed by betting on cards (39%) betting on sports (30%) and betting on games of skill, such as pool or snooker (30%)
  • Amongst students who have a substance abuse problem, 28% also have a gambling problem severe enough to warrant treatment and an additional 17% are at risk of a gambling problem
  • Males were far more likely to have a gambling problem than women, at 16% compared to 4% incidence rates
  • In all 10% of the teens surveyed met the criteria for having either pathological gambling or problem gambling and a further 10% were classified as at risk of becoming problem gamblers 1

In another study, young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 were found to have problem gambling rates that doubled those of older adults.2

The Younger You Start, the Bigger the Problem

Teens that are prevented from gambling at very young ages are less likely to develop a serious problem down the road.

Although present society often glamorizes the act of gambling (the world poker tour, casinos, movies on Vegas, etc.) there is no doubt that people who start gambling as young people are at greater risk of developing a life-long gambling problem. Gambling can be addictive, teens are at greater risk of an addiction and the longer parents can keep their children from experimenting with gambling, the better the likely outcome.

Teens who start gambling at a very young age are at far greater risk of serious lifelong pathological gambling problems than young people who wait slightly longer before first gambling. Research shows that:

  • Amongst adult pathological gamblers, those that have the most severe gambling problems tend to be those that started gambling at the youngest ages3
  • Amongst adult problem gamblers, those that started gambling at younger ages wagered more frequently than problem gamblers that started as adults. Early onset gamblers were also twice as likely to have a chronic medical condition as later onset gamblers and were more likely to have psychiatric condition.4

Clearly, there is harm in gambling at a very young age and parents and family members should engage in efforts to prevent such behaviors.

References

What Are Some Warning Signs of a Teen Gambling Problem?

Since problem gamblers, both teenage and adult often lack the insight to recognize their own difficulties with gambling, it’s important that parents watch out for behaviors that could indicate the beginnings of trouble.

Warning Signs to Watch for Include:

  • A teen who talks about gambling a lot, and who knows a lot of gambling terminology or who carries gambling paraphernalia around, such as casino sheets or lottery tickets
  • Excessive and unexplained amounts of money on hand – or conversely, an insatiable need for money and difficult to explain personal debts
  • Talking about regretting gambling losses
  • Extreme money-raising behaviors; selling personal belongings, stealing or committing other criminal acts, frequently borrowing money
  • Emotional problems, frequent irritability, worried or stressed behaviors or sadness
  • A sudden change in eating and or sleeping habits
  • A sudden reduction in school performance/skipping school
  • A sudden change in friends or a withdrawal from activities that were recently enjoyed1

Are Some Teens at Greater Risk for Gambling Problems

Although it’s impossible to predict who might end up developing a problem with gambling, there are strong correlations between people who have certain conditions/traits and an increased risk of developing a gambling problem.

Conditions that seem to increase a teen’s risk of developing a gambling problem include:

  • Being involved with juvenile delinquency
  • Having low self esteem
  • Being a teen boy
  • Doing poorly in school, either academic troubles or conduct issues
  • Having suicidal thoughts or previous suicidal attempts
  • Weak familial relationships
  • Higher scores on measures of depression and or disassociation
  • Starting to gamble early, before the age of 10
  • Having a family member with a gambling problem or a substance abuse problem
  • The death or arrest of a loved one2

Teen Problem Gambling Treatment

When gambling becomes a problem, treatment is sometimes necessary and usually beneficial, especially as teens with gambling problems are also far more likely to get into legal, school and/or familial trouble, to use drugs or alcohol and to engage in other risky behaviors.

Your family pediatrician or another trusted health or mental health care worker can be a good resource for information about local gambling treatment options. Gambling treatments will vary depending on the needs of the individual but will often include some form of psychotherapy and may also include medications, such as anti depressants. Many people find the continued use of self help groups useful for sustained recovery.3

References

References

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