Youth Impact

Young people today are growing up in an environment where gambling is more accessible than ever before. From sports betting ads to gambling-style features in video games, opportunities to engage with gambling are prevalent. This expanding availability has real consequences for youth and the prevalence of gambling-related harm.  

Online gambling is the second most prevalent gambling activity among youth under 18. A study from August 2024 revealed that globally, approximately 18% of youth under the age of 18 had gambled in the past 12 months. According to the same study, an estimated 159.6 million youth under 18 had gambled on commercial forms of gambling, which are typically age-restricted, in the past year.  

Gambling involvement can vary widely by region. Estimated adolescent gambling prevalence includes:  

  • North America — 33.7% 

  • Western Europe — 26.6% 

  • Eastern Europe — 21.9% 

  • Africa — 18.9% 

  • East and Southeast Asia — 10.9% 

  • Australasia — 9.4%  

Certain life experiences and health conditions can increase the likelihood that youth will gamble or meet the criteria for problem gambling. Young people with mental health conditions, those who use substances, and those with adverse childhood experiences are at higher risk. When children see parents, siblings, or other household members gambling, it can make gambling seem normal and increase the likelihood that they will gamble themselves.   

 Digital environments can also shape youth gambling exposure. Research shows that early engagement with gambling-like activities, such as gambling-themed games, can influence attitudes toward gambling and increase the chance of later gambling participation. Paying to play simulated gambling games may move young people psychologically closer to real-money gambling.  

In 2019, 23% of 11- to 16-year-olds reported spending money on loot boxes in video games, which offer randomized virtual rewards and appear in 59% of top-grossing mobile games. Many mobile games feature gambling mechanisms like roulette wheels and slot machines and use gambling vocabulary, which can normalize these behaviors. 

Social casino games present another access point. These games allow players to buy virtual chips with real money and engage in simulated gaming without the possibility of cashing out the earnings. Because they don’t offer real-world winnings, they are typically not regulated as gambling products and remain accessible to youth. 

These factors demonstrate how gambling exposure through commercial gambling, online opportunities, or gambling-like features in games, plays a growing role in the lives of young people and can contribute to future gambling-related harm.