By Blake Birenkrant, Manalapan High School
Gambling, by definition, is risking something of value, most of the time money, in exchange for the chance to win something greater in value than you risked, most of the time more money than you risked. Most gambling comes in the form of betting (another term for gambling) on a sports game or playing table games at a casino, including blackjack, poker, craps, etc.
The unfortunate impact of gambling, especially with it being easier to place bets online, has led more and more teenagers to begin to gamble for the same reason adults do. Of course, gambling is illegal for all minors and, many times, illegal for anyone under the age of 21.
Gambling can have many negative effects on adults who become addicted to it. And when teenagers start gambling at a young age, it only increases the likelihood of becoming addicted at an older age. That’s why it is super important to recognize elements of teenage gambling to work towards prevention against future gambling addictions.
Types of Teenage Gambling
Since gambling is illegal for minors and most teenagers, different ways to gamble have emerged. Teenagers cannot go into casinos or place bets on very popular sports betting apps without proper identification and/or a Social Security number. These factors have paved the way for different types of teenage gambling, where teenagers can gamble illegally without getting caught.
Online Sports Gambling: Fortunately, many extremely popular online sports gambling sites are strict on their restrictions in terms of underage gambling. Unfortunately, because of this, many other, less popular apps have emerged that allow anyone to place sports bets without providing proof of age first. Luckily, many of these sites do require identification in order to cash out the winnings made in the app, but this concept of being able to sports bet freely does instill the potential for addictive gambling mindsets in teens. In addition, other ways for teenagers to bet online include using a bookie (a person who acts as the casino and with whom people place bets). Bookies were commonly used when sports gambling was illegal altogether, but now many teenagers have bookies to place sports bets with, since, most of the time, age requirements are not necessary. Finally, one of the most popular forms of online sports gambling for teenagers is fantasy sports. While this may seem like a fun activity for teens to compete with their friends, it can instill gambling mindsets in teens where the urge to keep betting and bet more money will continually grow.
Online Table Games: With our world today becoming so digital, many things, such as gambling, have begun to spread into the online atmosphere through the Internet. Today, many apps exist where people can gamble from the comfort of their homes, playing online poker, online blackjack, online roulette wheels, etc. Because this gambling all takes place online, it makes it easier for teenagers to be able to gamble on these apps because of the lack of security. Although many of these legitimate online gambling apps have restrictions similar to casinos, they will never be 100% guaranteed to work since it is all online.
In-person Table Games: Although casinos do not allow minors to play table games at their establishments, many teenagers can play these sorts of games at other places. The most common way teenagers can play table games is at a friend’s house or with a group of friends. In fact, friends gathering at someone’s house to play poker or blackjack together has become an extremely popular activity that many teens enjoy. The legality aspects of this are less concerning than other parts of gambling, since these table games are mostly played on someone’s private property. Unfortunately, these teenage bonding activities can have the consequence of instilling a gambling mindset in teens at a very young age. This can lead to very early gambling addictions, which have a whole plethora of other effects.
Signs of Teenage Gambling
Behavioral: Changes in a teenager’s behavior can be one of the first indicators that they are involved in some sort of illegal gambling. These can include an increase in lying or being secretive, a growing obsession with sports statistics or gambling-related odds, and becoming defensive or angry regarding situations when money or online habits are brought up. Just like how adult behavior can change when gambling addiction arises, teenagers can also experience behavioral changes.
Financial: Since gambling mostly requires money, changes to a teenager’s use or request of money can be a sign of gambling. Examples include frequently asking for or using cash, borrowing or possibly stealing money from family and friends, and spending large amounts of money on “in-game purchases,” such as fantasy sports. An activity fueled by money, changes to a teenager’s financial use can be signs of gambling.
Social: The effects of becoming addicted to gambling, especially as a teenager, are extremely noticeable when they start to affect social aspects of the person’s life. These can involve less time spent with family or friends, large mood swings after any sort of win or loss, and increased stress or depression regarding money tied to gambling. In addition, social signs regarding increased risk-taking patterns, such as wanting to put certain things up to chance, are another sign that a teenager may be gambling.
Mental Health Impacts
Teenage gambling can have the same negative mental health impacts as regular gambling has on adults. Additionally, due to the early exposure to gambling, teenage gambling may lead to even worse problems in the long run.
Increased Anxiety and Stress: Many times, the urge to want to win while gambling can translate into high amounts of stress and anxiety for teens. This can be caused by heavy losses or a high amount of pressure to win money. These effects can further lead to symptoms affecting a teenager’s sleep and concentration.
Depression: Just as adult gambling addicts can become depressed after heavy losses in gambling, teenagers who gamble can also experience symptoms of depression. Huge losses can lead to feelings of hopelessness, which build on top of each other when losses accumulate. Teens may also choose to isolate themselves after losing, caused by feeling heavy guilt or shame.
Addictive Behavior: Gambling can become an extremely addictive habit, especially for teenagers whose brains get hijacked by the desire to win big. This addictive behavior can lead to teens developing a gambling addiction, which makes it even harder to stop gambling. This addictive behavior may even translate over to other bad habits that teens may become addicted to.
Impaired Judgment (Risk-Taking): Similar to gambling, leading to an addictive mindset, teenage gambling may also lead to having impaired judgment for other purposes. This may include substance abuse, lying, or theft, and teens may try to take even larger risks to win back money lost. This effect of teenage gambling can become detrimental to a teen’s character and their overall state of mind.
Prevention Methods
Gambling for teenagers can obviously have a number of harmful effects. Luckily, there are many ways to prevent teenagers from gambling or to completely stop current active teenage gambling.
Education: There are a number of programs and public campaigns currently in the world that serve to show the negative aspects of gambling. These public education services can show teens the downsides to gambling and thereby prevent it altogether. Additionally, parents can work to do their due diligence in educating their children on the dangers of gambling, especially at a young age.
Parental Monitoring/Communication: More ways that parents can prevent teenage gambling are by taking a more active approach in regulating or talking about their kids’ lives. Parents can set rules on not using gambling applications, as well as not allowing their children to participate in any table game sessions with their friends. Being able to talk openly about gambling with their children is another thing parents can do to work towards prevention or quitting.
Counseling/Support Services: Currently, there are many organizations or services offered to prevent gambling or help people quit, even more for teenagers. One service involves teens talking to their school guidance counselors, who can offer assistance for prevention or quitting. There are also a number of anonymous support hotlines or therapies that can be geared towards just general gambling problems, which also can include teenage gambling.
Community Support: There truly is no better method to avoid gambling than to rely on the people of your community, as well as your peers. Teens who gamble can join youth-related organizations (sports, clubs, etc.), as these are positive activities that prevent teens from engaging in gambling. Additionally, just speaking to people in your community and relying on them for support are great ways to both prevent teenage gambling and help teenage gamblers quit.
Gambling is a habit that can have many negative effects on those who become addicted to it. These effects apply to teenagers who gamble just as much as they do to adults and can even harm teenagers more, as the gambling mindset is instilled into them at a young age. It’s very important to recognize the ways that teenagers can gamble, many of them illegal, as well as the many negative signs and effects that come from teenage gambling. Luckily, there are a number of ways to prevent teenagers from gambling as well as help teenagers to quit gambling and rid themselves of all the negative mental health effects. Teenage gambling can put many youths on a dangerous path, but with the right counseling and education, teens can be quickly steered back onto a positive action and activity path.