Young people are being exposed to gambling too early. Here’s what we can do

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ)

Young Australians are increasingly sucked into the world of gambling. Pexels, Canva, The Conversation, CC BY-NC

Our country has a gambling problem.

More than 8% of adults are negatively impacted by gambling, on some level. And 1% of adults experience extreme gambling harm, meaning they’re gambling at very high risk.

And young people are being increasingly sucked into the world of gambling. About 90% of Australians aged 18-34 who regularly use pokie machines experience gambling-related harms. These include lost savings, severed relationships and other serious consequences.

Certain types of gambling – particularly pokies and online betting – are more harmful than others. And being exposed to these can readily lead to gambling addiction.

So what causes gambling addiction? And can it be treated?

Why is gambling so dangerous?

The list of gambling-related harms is long – and harrowing.

The most common form is financial. This can be as minor as having less spending money, or as serious as losing your life savings or the family home.

Gambling can also take an immense psychological toll. It can give rise to feelings of regret, guilt, shame and distress, and has been linked with mental illnesses including depression and anxiety. Veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder may start gambling as a way of self-medicating, but a gambling addiction won’t make any condition better. Research suggests gambling also increases suicide risk.

Relationship problems – such as separation and divorce – are another common consequence. That’s because gambling not only harms the person who gambles but also those closest to them, including spouses, parents, friends and even employers. However, families often shoulder the heaviest burden, as parental gambling is associated with higher rates of family violence, conflict between parents, child abuse and neglect.

Gambling also does broader social damage, with research suggesting crime rates rise as access to gambling increases.

What does gambling addiction look like?

Gambling addiction refers to a condition in which a person feels compelled to gamble, even when it causes harm to them or others.

In some circles, “addiction” is a contested concept. Some see gambling problems as an individual failure of will, instead of a behavioural addiction. However, gambling addiction is clearly defined by internationally recognised diagnostic tools, including the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Disease.

Scientists can gauge whether a person is addicted to gambling using various screening instruments. One example is the Problem Gambling Severity Index, a widely used tool that asks nine questions about a person’s gambling activity over the past year.

Who is most at risk?

Young people are very vulnerable to gambling addiction.

Current evidence suggests those aged 18-34 are most at risk of experiencing gambling harm as a result of regular poker machine use and online gambling. This age group also spends the most money while gambling online.

Research consistently shows childhood exposure to gambling increases a person’s risk of serious gambling harm in adulthood. It also shows the earlier a person starts gambling, the more likely they are to develop a gambling addiction.

And the rise of online gambling – alongside increased access to smartphones – has brought gambling into the family home. This means young people can easily start gambling without stepping foot in a casino or pokies venue, and without their family knowing.

What causes it?

Several factors may contribute to gambling addiction.

One is being exposed to gambling early. From a neuroscience perspective, teenagers are more willing to take risks because of how the prefrontal cortex – the brain region that controls reasoning and judgement – changes during adolescence. The teenage brain may also produce more dopamine – a chemical linked to motivation and pleasure – in response to unpredictable gambling rewards.

Another factor is socioeconomic disadvantage. In most places, poker machines are regressively distributed, meaning there are many more pokies in poorer neighbourhoods.

The influence of the gambling industry is a major factor. Gambling ads – which often appear on television or at sports events – are designed to appeal to people’s emotions rather than present the facts. Many advertisers also collect huge amounts of personal data – such as how often a person gambles, how much and on what sports – that they can analyse to create highly detailed profiles of individual gamblers. That’s possible because people typically gamble through online accounts or apps.

Another crucial factor is the lack of robust government regulation. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to take “strong action” to better protect children and young people from the harms of gambling. But the federal government has failed to do so, as shown by its response to the Murphy report. This landmark parliamentary report – led by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy – called for much-needed reforms including a full ban on all gambling advertising across broadcast and online media.

However, the government has only imposed some restrictions on gambling advertisers. These include:

a ban on all gambling ads during live broadcasts
a limit of three ads every hour between 6am and 8:30pm
restrictions on gambling ads in stadiums and on logos, as well as celebrity endorsements of gambling
a “triple-lock system” for online and streaming services, meaning people must log on, verify their age and opt out of gambling ads to access these platforms.

But these restrictions will only come into effect in January 2027, at the earliest. And there are real concerns they are not robust enough to keep gambling companies – as well as broadcasters, social media platforms and streaming services – in line. In any case, these reforms are unlikely to do much to protect our children and young people from the dangers of gambling.

Can it be treated?

The good news is gambling addiction is treatable.

Many people who become addicted to gambling can recover, although this takes commitment and persistence. This is possible through treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy, which helps people improve how they feel by working through problematic thoughts or behaviours.

However, research suggests most people who develop a gambling addiction don’t seek help. This may be because of the stigma and shame that’s associated with gambling addiction, with concepts such as “responsible gambling” framing it as the result of poor choices.

If you or a loved one are struggling with gambling addiction, you can call the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 or visit the Gambling Help Online website.

How can we protect young people?

Over the last 20 years, younger Australians have been conditioned to view gambling as an inherent element of sport, particularly through watching gambling ads.

But there are ways to protect them from the harms of gambling.

On a policy level, the government should:

crack down on gambling marketing and advertising, notably by implementing the full gambling ad ban recommended by the Murphy report
strengthen regulation of the gambling industry, establishing a national gambling regulator to replace the current system where most wagering operators are licensed in the poorly regulated Northern Territory.

On a family level, parents can:

emphasise the fun of the game, not the odds, when talking with children about sport
avoid watching sport broadcasts past 8:30pm, after which gambling ads can be broadcast under current and proposed regulations
install online tools to block access or payments to gambling websites on devices used by your child
contact your local politician or sporting club if you’re worried about children being exposed to gambling, and support public initiatives pushing for reform.

Charles Livingstone has received funding from the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, the (former) Victorian Gambling Research Panel, and the South Australian Independent Gambling Authority, the Australian and New Zealand School of Government and the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education. He has also received funding from non-government organisations for research about poker machine gambling. He has received travel and co-operation grants from the Alberta Problem Gambling Research Institute, the Finnish Institute for Public Health, the Finnish Alcohol Research Foundation, the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Committee, the Turkish Green Crescent Society, the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand, Monash University and the Public Health Advocacy Centre of Northeastern University Law School. He is a member of the Lancet Public Health Commission into gambling and the World Health Organisation expert group on gambling and gambling harm.

Original source: https://analysis1.mil-osi.com/2026/07/09/young-people-are-being-exposed-to-gambling-too-early-heres-what-we-can-do/