Facts on Youth Gambling

In a recent review of 14 U.S. and 6 Canadian adolescent gambling studies, it was found that in the past 10 years the number of teenagers ages 12 to 17 reporting serious gambling problems has increased by 50%, from 10 to 15 percent.

For adolescent problem gamblers, money is often not the driving factor. The money is simply a vehicle allowing  the youth to continue wagering.

Gambling is generally more popular among young males than young females.

Do You

Have a

Problem?

Adolescents with pathological gambling problems commonly:

- Have poor general coping skills 
- Have lower self esteem 
- Have higher rates of depression 
- Dissociate more frequently when gambling 
- Are at increased risk for the development of an addiction or poly-addictions 
- Have problems maintaining friendships and relationships;  these relationships are often replaced with gambling associates 
- Experience a rapid movement from social gambler to problem gambler 
- Are usually greater risk takers 
- Are at heightened risk for suicide ideation and suicide attempts

Getting

 Gambling

Help

Gambling

Main

Page

Negative Impact & Problems Linked to Adolescent Problem Gambling:

- Problematic gambling among adolescents has been shown to result in  increased delinquency and crime
- Youth, whose parents gambled excessively, had twice the number of problems with the law and twice the attempted suicide rate than their classmates
- Many problem gamblers, that are also substance abusers, report that gambling is more addictive, and more difficult to recover from, than either alcohol or cocaine.
- Juvenile involvement in gambling in the U.S. now exceeds the expected onset for their use of cigarettes, hard liquor and marijuana.

The information on this page was taken from: The Louisiana

 Department of Health and Hospitals Website 

www.thegamble.org/ 

.