Youth Gambling

Do you think teens aren’t gambling because they aren’t old enough?

Think again! 70% of teens have gambled in the last year.

For an activity to be ‘gambling’, it needs The 3 R’s:

1. Risk - Something of value will be lost upon losing.
2. Reward - Something of value to be gained upon winning.
3. Random - Everything in life involves random chance. The more random chance involved in a game, the more likely it is a gamble.  

Slot machines and the lottery fit in this description, but the stock market and 50/50 raffles do too! From video games to apps to sports-betting, things have changed in the world of gambling.

For adults, gambling is about doing it safely. To most adults, gambling is a social activity that causes no harm. For some, it leads to problem gambling, or continuing to gamble despite consequences like addiction and mental health concerns.

Teens can never gamble safely. Their brains are still growing and developing.