Youth
Problem Gambling
Although problem gambling
has been primarily thought of as an adult behavior,
gambling activities appear to be particularly attractive
to today's youth. In fact, prevalence studies conducted
in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Europe, and
Australia 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 during 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. Yet, for most
parents and teens, gambling is viewed as an innocuous
behavior with few negative consequences.
Gambling a popular game
Gambling has become a widely accepted activity in many
cultures. It is not unusual for parents to purchase
lottery tickets for their children or to take them to
play Bingo. Retrospective studies found that adult
problem gamblers reported an earlier onset of gambling,
often beginning between the ages of 10-19. A large scale
study of adolescents in Alberta found that the average
problem gambler started gambling at age 10. Similar
results were found in several of our studies, as well as
in other studies conducted throughout the world.
Gambling is a game of chance. It’s betting money or some
other valuable on the outcome of a game, contest, or
other event. It has been called recreation with risk.
Gambling includes activities such as buying lottery
tickets at the gas station, playing Bingo at the
community center, betting on ballgames or horses or just
about anything else you can think of.
Conclusion
Problematic gambling among adolescents has been linked
with increased delinquency and criminal behavior, as
well as the disruption of family and peer relationships.
Problem gambling
can also negatively affect overall school performance
and work activities. While youth may present with
different initial symptoms than adults, they
nevertheless share similar characteristics. For example,
adolescent problem gamblers report a preoccupation with
gambling, sacrificing school, work, parental and peer
relationships in order to continue gambling. Contrary to
public opinion, our research and clinical work suggests
that money is not the only reason why adolescents gamble
excessively. Rather, it appears that money is used as a
vehicle which enables individuals to continue playing.
When playing, adolescents with serious gambling problems
report that nothing else matters and that they are able
to forget about their problems. The three predominant
reasons adolescents report gambling (a) the excitement
it brings, (b) enjoyment, and (c) to win money. Other
reasons adolescents may gamble include peer pressure, to
relieve boredom and to relieve feelings of depression.
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