Study finds an alarming amount of underage American teens gambled in the last year

Study finds an alarming amount of underage American teens gambled in the last year The findings ‘should be a wake-up call,’ Rutgers University researcher Lia Nower says - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Nearly 20 million American adults report experiencing symptoms of a dangerous and addictive gambling disorder each year - but new data shows the risk is no longer limited to those ages 18 and up. With the rise of online gambling, the problem is growing among U.S. youth, and nearly half of underage teens gambled in the last year, according to a survey published this week. About 43 percent of teens between 13 and 17 have placed bets in the last year, the survey of 1,677 people revealed. Many of these teens are developing or already have a disorder, New Jersey’s Rutgers University, which conducted the survey, said. Around 11 percent were classified as high-risk for problems, despite being below age 18: the legal age for regulated gambling activities. “These findings should be a wake-up call for parents, educators, health professionals and policymakers,” Lia Nower, director of the school’s Center for Gambling Studies, said in a statement. Nower led the research into the findings. “Gambling is no longer confined to casinos and lottery tickets. It is increasingly embedded in video games, sports broadcasts and other products young people can access,” she added. “We have worried this would increase rates of problem gambling among youth. Now we know. It does.” The researchers examined 21 gambling activities, including sports and esports betting, cryptocurrency trading, games of skill, raffles, bingo and trading on prediction markets. The research marked the first national prevalence study of U.S. adolescents and young adults in nearly 20 years. The problem A gambling disorder is an addiction that is linked to poor mental health and substance abuse. It can drain finances and ruin relationships, Yale Medicine says. Starting young carries an increased risk for psychological distress and developing a gambling problem, the American Psychological Association notes. Despite that, teens and adolescents have become the fastest-growing group of gamblers nationally and a January report from non-profit Common Sense Media discovered 36 percent of boys aged 11 to 17 had gambled in the last year. Young men are 3.4 times more likely to engage in problematic gambling than their female counterparts, 2024 research from Australia’s Central Queensland University found. Though the new Rutgers research identified that high-risk gambling rates were similar for girls. The study also determined that Black teens were the most likely to gamble, as were those living in lower income households or with family members who gambled. Part of the reason for this shift is a major change in how people gamble, as Nower addressed. Around 90 percent of bets are now placed on phones, Isaac Rose-Berman, fellow at the American Institute for Boys and Men, wrote in STAT last year. “We are living in a time where anyone can have a casino or sportsbook in their pocket,” Nower noted. “Now teens who should be playing sports are betting on them, often with family members.” A landmark ruling The gambling industry expanded following a May 2018 Supreme Court ruling that legalized sports betting. Americans now wager billions every year on sports bets, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said earlier this month. The school found that the ruling has led to increases in the use of depression and anxiety medications. There was also a surge in outpatient diagnoses for the mental health conditions, which are tied to a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease and dementia, in the 22 states. The fix Nower and the university recommended several steps to help prevent and fight gambling addiction in America’s youth. First, they suggest that starting prevention education in middle school can help address risks at home and limit family gambling. Second, the researchers propose strengthening oversight of emerging gambling-like products and establishing a federal regulatory agency to set up safeguards that could reduce levels of problematic gambling. Lastly, they call for a new office for problem gambling within the National Institutes of Health, which could provide prevention and treatment where risk is deemed to be the highest. “We cannot wait until young people reach adulthood to begin addressing gambling-related harm,” Nower said. “By that point, we will have very high rates of problem gambling.” People struggling with a gambling disorder who need help now can call the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET. In crisis, call or text 988. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments