Is Your Teen at Risk?
Online gambling, which has nearly doubled in teens within the past 2 years, concerns gambling experts. A study published in the American Journal of Addictions found that nearly two thirds of college students who regularly gamble on the Internet show signs of a pathological addiction to gambling, compared to just a quarter of infrequent Internet gamblers and 5% of those who gamble offline.
Most kids who become Internet gamblers start on the play-for-free sites, which are often maintained by the same companies who do the pay sites. “The addresses are often the same, except for .net for the free site, and .com for the pay site,” Whyte says. “Kids get an unrealistic sense of winning, as they are not playing against pros and nobody is playing for real money. They often get a harsh awakening when they take their skills into the real world.”
Determining which kids will develop a gambling problem, and which will be in the majority of teens who can keep it under control, is nearly impossible. Experts point to certain risk factors:
the child or close relative of a problem gambler is seven times more likely to develop an addiction;
teenage males are more likely to gamble more often and for larger sums of money; and
athletes, who thrive on competition and have strong self-confidence, are far more likely to run into problems.
But even if your child doesn’t fall into one of the risk categories, he may still develop problems. That’s why it’s important to educate yourself and your child on the dangers of gambling—and keep close tabs on how much and how often they gamble. Jon’s poker games are strictly monitored. His mom, Beatrice, makes sure that the games take place under parental supervision, and monitors his gambling behavior closely. “If Jon became unable or unwilling to limit himself in these poker games to losses we feel are acceptable, or if he started to obsess about winning, as opposed to just looking forward to hanging out, eating pizza, and playing, then I’d intervene,” she says. “Like anything else, you’ve got to know what your kid is doing.”