Youth & Gambling

Information for Parents

Have you ever wondered if gambling affects your child/teen or if it really affects any children/teens? Aren't young people too young to be gambling anyway? Studies conducted in Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Europe and Australia all have noted rising prevalence rates of youth involvement in both legal and illegal forms of gambling.  While approximately 80% of High School students report having gambled for money over the past year, 4-8% of adolescents presently have a serious gambling problem with another 10-14% of adolescents at risk for developing a serious gambling problem (Youth Gambling International, 2006).  Yet, for many parents and youth, gambling is viewed as a harmless behaviour with few negative consequences. 

Research suggests that as gambling venues become more and more accessible, the amount of involvement in gambling activities will increase.   Within our community, people have the opportunity to participate in lotteries, bingo, casino gambling, sports betting, raffles, internet gambling sites, card games, games of skill, etc, etc, etc… You might be surprised at how many types of gambling activities young people are actually involved with, and often youth don't even realize that they are participating in. Youth report involvement most frequently with card games, games of skill (pool, golf), dice games and other informal types of gambling. In addition, they report partaking in under age or ‘formal' type gambling such as lottery/scratch/ break-open tickets, casino gambling, racetrack events and Internet gambling.

Research shows that the earlier people start gambling, the more likely they are to develop a gambling problem. 

Gambling is currently a "normalized" occurrence in today's society.  Today's youth are amongst the first to be exposed to ready access to gambling opportunities. 

A casino visit has been described as the new rite of passage into adulthood, similar to getting a driver's license or becoming a legal drinking age.

We are aware that just because someone gambles does not mean they are a problem gambler; however, teens experience problems 2-4x more than adults. They may not have a lot of valuables but are impacted in other ways as well, which include emotional and cognitive impacts.

Be aware and understand the signs that may indicate a problem. Youth that develop problem gambling issues frequently:

• Have poor general coping skills
• Are at increased risk for suicide ideation and suicide attempts
• Have lower self-esteem
• Report beginning gambling at earlier ages (approximately 10 years of age)
• Replace old friends with gambling associates
• Move rapidly from social gambler to problem gambler
• Are at increased risk for the development of other problematic behaviours such as substance use.

It is important to talk to teens about gambling because they are exposed to gambling images almost every day. All they have to do is walk into a corner store that sells lottery tickets, turn on the television to see a poker tournament, or surf the internet and find millions of gambling/gaming websites.  For many, gambling will remain a harmless activity, but for others, it will have a significant life impact.

Possible signs that your child/teen is gambling:

• Pre-occupation with gambling to the exclusion of other interests
• Calling 900 numbers for sports scores
• Missing money or possessions in the house
• Using lunch or bus money to gamble
• Coming to parents for money to pay a gambling debt
• Displays unexplained wealth
• Unusual interest in sports scores and point spreads
• An unexplained need for money
• Tickets purchasing (lottery, scratch, break open, etc.)
• Gambling paraphernalia
• Increased irritability or hostility
• Missing school or work to gamble

We have come to realize that educating our youth about the realities of gambling is important. Here is a fun game at PBS kids that the youth may enjoy that teaches about probability: Fun Coin Toss Game for Kids

Talking to Children about Problem Gambling

When parents are unable to provide children with adequate attention and nurturing (because of the amount of time spent gambling), children can feel abandoned - both physically and emotionally.  They may become angry or depressed and may begin acting out.  Children may also blame themselves for the problems in the home.  This added stress can cause children to withdraw or act out their confusion in inappropriate ways.  Children need to be made aware of the problem with age-appropriate information about problem gambling.

The key messages children need to hear are:

• There is a problem but the adults are addressing it.
• It is not their fault and they are not responsible for fixing the problem.
• They can feel better by talking about their feelings and making healthy choices.
• Treatment for their parent is available and effective.

Parents can also help their children by spending more time with them.  Children need to feel safe and secure, and by establishing daily routines and weekly activities, children will feel a healthy sense of structure and consistency in their lives.  Making sure that children also have "safe" people to talk to can help them feel better about what is going on at home.  Depending on the age of the child, it may be appropriate to discuss any lifestyle changes that will affect them; however, you must reinforce the message that they do not need to "worry" about financial concerns.

Children may be confused about their feelings for the parent with the gambling problem.  It is important to help them understand that gambling is only one part of the person's overall behaviour.  It is still okay to love someone even though certain things they do are upsetting.