Why Youth and Teens Gamble
WHY DO YOUTH and TEENS GAMBLE?
✓ Excitement
✓ Relaxation
✓ Peer Pressure
✓ Escaping Reality
✓ A Family Member Gambles
MOST COMMON TYPES OF GAMBLING
✓ Sports Gambling
✓ Internet Gambling
✓ Poker
✓ Lottery/Scratch Offs
✓ Dice
Why Teens Gamble
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QUICK FACTS
✓ Gambling disorders can begin in children as young as 10 years old
✓ Problem gambling impacts about 4-8% of youths, compared to just 1% of adults
✓ By the time they get to high school, 60-80% of students reported that they gambled at least once in the past 12 months
✓ Teens who gamble are more likely to use illegal drugs
✓ Among all addictions, gambling is linked to the highest suicide rate
✓ Many teenagers are gambling and, as parents, you may not even know about it.
✓ Recent research revealed that approximately 4-5% of young people between the ages of 12 and 17 are struggling with a gambling addiction. Maryland Coalition of Families (MCF)
✓ Another 10-14% are at risk of developing an addiction, which means they are already showing signs of losing control (MCF)
✓ If parents and professionals do not help them to address this, it can have devastating consequences that will impact the rest of their lives.
WARNING SIGNS
✓ Borrowing Money/Selling Items
✓ Preoccupation
✓ Unexplained Absences/Declining Grades
✓ Strained relationships With Family and Friends
✓ Bragging About Winnings
✓ Large Amounts of Money
✓ Suspected Alcohol/Drug Use
✓ Suicidal Thoughts
PRACTICE PREVENTION
✓ Prevention starts by modeling healthy gambling behavior at home:
✓ Consider your own participation in lotteries or in-person gambling such as poker games
✓ Establish clear rules concerning your child’s screen time and exposure to games involving betting
✓ Ask your child for more information the next time they want to use your credit to make a purchase
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR PARENTS and/or CARETAKERS
Youth and Teens gamble. It’s a risk. What parents need to know about youth problem gambling.