Young People and Gambling: Risks, Signs and Support

Young people today grow up surrounded by gambling. Betting brands appear on football shirts and in adverts during live sport; influencers stream casino games; video games sell randomised rewards. At the same time, adolescents and young adults are, on average, more vulnerable to developing gambling problems than older adults. This guide explains the risks and what parents, carers and educators can do.

How young people encounter gambling

Directly

• Illegal underage access to online gambling, often using a parent’s or friend’s account or ID.
• Lottery tickets and scratchcards bought by or for them.
• Informal betting between friends, on sport or video games.
• Fruit machines or low-stakes gaming machines in some countries.

Indirectly, through gambling-like products

• Loot boxes — randomised paid rewards in video games.
• Skin betting — using in-game cosmetic items as currency on third-party gambling sites.
• Social casino games — free-to-play casino-style apps, often with in-app purchases.
• Gambling content online — streamers, tipsters and influencers who make gambling look easy and glamorous.

The regulatory picture for these products is uneven and changing. See loot boxes and gaming regulation and sweepstakes and social casinos regulation.

Through advertising

Gambling advertising is especially visible around sport. Rules on content, timing and placement vary widely between countries, and many regulators have tightened them in recent years. See gambling advertising rules.

Why young people are at higher risk

• Brain development. The parts of the brain involved in impulse control and long-term planning continue developing into the mid-twenties.
• Peer influence. Gambling can be social currency in friendship groups, especially around sport.
• Misunderstanding odds. Young people may overestimate their skill or chance of winning. See understanding odds and probability.
• Early exposure. Research suggests that starting to gamble young is associated with a higher risk of problems later in life.
• New financial independence for 18–24-year-olds, often combined with easy access to credit and betting apps.

Some regulators now apply extra protections to young adults. In Great Britain, for example, online slot stakes for those aged 18 to 24 are capped at £2 per spin, compared with £5 for older adults.

The legal position

Most countries set a minimum age of 18 for commercial gambling, though some products or venues require players to be 21 or older, and a few products may be available from younger ages in some places. Licensed operators must verify age before allowing gambling. See age verification requirements and the country profiles under /regulation/.

Unlicensed offshore operators may not verify age properly — another reason to treat them with caution.

Warning signs in young people

• Unexplained money, or money and items going missing at home.
• Borrowing from friends or selling possessions.
• Secretive phone or computer use, especially around sporting events.
• Mood swings linked to sports results or games.
• Falling grades, missed classes or loss of interest in previous hobbies.
• Talking a lot about odds, tips, “systems” or big wins.
• Heavy spending on loot boxes or in-game currency.

Several of these overlap with ordinary teenage behaviour, so look for patterns rather than single events. Our general page on warning signs of problem gambling has more detail.

What parents and carers can do

Talk early and openly

Ask what they know about gambling, what they see online and what their friends do. Listen more than you lecture. Questions such as “How do you think betting companies make money?” can open useful conversations.

Explain how gambling really works

Young people often respond well to the maths: the house always has an edge, and adverts show winners, not the many who lose. The house edge calculator can be a practical teaching aid.

Use practical controls

• Turn on parental controls and app-store restrictions on devices.
• Set spending limits and require approval for in-game purchases.
• Keep your own gambling accounts, cards and ID secure.
• Consider blocking software for younger children’s devices.

Model healthy behaviour

Children notice how adults talk about gambling. Treating it as a way to make money, or celebrating wins without mentioning losses, sends a message.

If you discover they have been gambling

Try to stay calm. Anger or punishment can push behaviour underground. Instead:

• ask what happened and how they feel about it;
• find out how much money is involved and where it came from;
• check whether an adult’s account, card or ID was used, and secure them;
• agree practical steps together, such as blocking software and spending limits; and
• if the gambling was through a licensed operator despite age checks, consider reporting it to the operator and regulator.

What schools and youth workers can do

• Include gambling and gaming in financial-literacy and wellbeing education.
• Be alert to gambling during sporting events and in group chats.
• Know local referral routes for young people and families.

Getting help

If you are worried about a young person, or a young person is worried about themselves:

• Contact a gambling helpline — most support young people and parents. Our help directory lists services by country.
• Speak to a GP, school counsellor or youth service.
• Look at youth-specific gambling services where available.

If the young person has accumulated debts or is experiencing distress, our guides on how to talk to someone about their gambling and gambling and mental health may help. If anyone is at immediate risk of harm, contact local emergency services.