Youth gambling: A public health perspective Over the last decade research in the area of youth gambling has led to a better understanding of the risk factors, trajectories and problems associated with this behaviour.
Jul 04, 2018 In this animated explainer video, we highlight some of the diverse health impacts that stem from problem gambling, the relationships between gambling harm and substance use and mental health.

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Youth Gambling and Delinquency: Legislative and Social Policy Implications Caroline E. Temcheff, Rene´e A. Pierre, and Jeffrey Deverensky The history of gambling in countries world-wide has been characterized by multiple cycles, spanning the gamut from proscription to propagation. In the last century alone, gambling has transitioned. This article focuses on problem gambling among young people in SSA with an emphasis on three key themes: 1) gambling behaviour and patterns in SSA; 2) public health and socio-economic implications of gambling in SSA; and 3) public health policies and interventions for addressing this issue. Problem gambling has recently emerged as a significant public health issue. While most efforts target adult pathological gamblers, there is growing concern that adolescents and young adults represent the highest risk group for gambling problems. Prevailing public health initiatives addressing youth problem gambling are only beginning to be examined.

Can Child Adolesc Psychiatr Rev. 2004 Feb; 13(1): 3–6.

PMID: 19030146

Language: English | French

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.

Abstract

Introduction

The recent growth of gambling problems among youth around the world is alarming. Researchers, clinicians, educators and the public have only begun to recognize the significance of this risky adolescent behaviour. With the continuous rise in gambling technology and the expansion of the gambling industry, more gambling opportunities exist today than ever before.

Method

The literature on gambling and youth was reviewed.

Results

Given the greater accessibility, availability, and promotion of gambling, more and more youth have become attracted to the perceived excitement, entertainment, and financial freedom associated with gambling. While Internet gambling is a recent phenomenon that remains to be explored, the potential for future problems among youth is high, especially among a generation of young people who have grown up with videogames, computers, and the Internet.

Conclusion

Our current knowledge and understanding of the seriousness of gambling problems, its magnitude, and its impact on the health and well-being of children and youth compels us to respond to these new forms of gambling in a timely and effective manner.

Keywords: gambling, internet, addictive, behaviours, child, adolescent

Résumé

L’accroissement des problèmes reliés au jeu chez les jeunes du monde entier est inquiétant. Les chercheurs, les cliniciens, les éducateurs et le public lui-même commencent à reconnaître le sérieux d’un tel comportement à risque avec le raffinement des techniques de jeu et le développement accéléré de cette industrie, il existe de plus en plus d’occasions de s’adonner au jeu. La literature sur la jeunesse et le jeu a été rééxaminée. Ainsi, à cause de l’augmentation des occasions et de la promotion du jeu, de plus en plus de jeunes sont attirés par l’excitation, l’aspect spectacle et le sentiment de pouvoir s’enrichir, attributs qu’ils accolent au plaisir du jeu. Bien que le jeu sur Internet soit un phénomène encore récent, le potentiel d’un nombre accru de problèmes chez les jeunes est élevé, particulièrement chez la jeune génération qui a grandi avec les jeux vidéo, les ordinateurs et l’Internet. La literature sur la jeunesse et le jeu a été rééxaminée. Nos connaissances actuelles et notre compréhension du sérieux des problèmes de jeu, leur fréquence ainsi que leur impact sur la santé et le bien-être des enfants et des adolescents nous forcent à trouver des réponses concrètes et efficaces à ces nouvelles formes de jeu.

INTRODUCTION

Today’s children and teens in North America are the first generation of youth to grow up in a society where a multiplicity of types of gambling exists, and gambling venues are not only widely available but also heavily advertised and promoted. Gambling, once considered to be associated with sin and vice is now generally perceived as a harmless adult entertainment and has become mainstream in our society. Although in Canada government regulated gambling is illegal for youth under the age of 18, a growing number of young people are gambling for recreation and entertainment (). With increased exposure to, and availability of regulated and unregulated forms of gambling, including the recent emergence of Internet gambling, more youth are succumbing to the temptation and pressure to engage in these activities (). There is a growing body of research suggesting that greater accessibility is related to increased gambling, increased money spent on gambling, and increased rates of problem gambling (Griffiths, 1995). Research in Canada, the U.S., and internationally suggests that approximately 80% of adolescents have participated in some form of gambling during their lifetime (see the review by the National Research Council, 1999 and meta-analysis by ).

Most alarming is evidence indicating that between 4–8% of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 have a very serious gambling problem, while another 10–15% are at-risk for developing a gambling problem (Derevensky & Gupta, 2000; ; National Research Council, 1999). Further, while there are some methodological issues involved in the measurement of pathological gambling for youth, there are consistent reports that the prevalence rates of probable pathological gambling in youth (4–8%) are considerably higher than rates of pathological gambling in the general adult population (1–3%) (; National Research Council, 1999).

Pathological gambling can be described as a continuous or periodic loss of control over gambling and is highlighted by irrational thinking and erroneous cognitions, a preoccupation with gambling and with obtaining money to gamble, continuation with gambling despite adverse consequences, and an inability to stop gambling despite having the desire to do so (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Between 1984 and 1999 there was a significant increase in the proportion of youth who reported gambling within the past year as well as those who reported gambling-related problems (). Clearly, adolescents represent a particularly high-risk group and are vulnerable to the development of gambling problems (Derevensky & Gupta, 2000; National Research Council, 1999).

Research has demonstrated that problematic gambling among adolescents has been associated with a number of other mental health outcomes. From a clinical perspective, youth with gambling problems exhibit higher rates of depressive sympto-mology, increased risk of suicide ideation and attempts, higher anxiety (), as well as an increased risk of alcohol and substance abuse disorders (Hardoon & Derevensky, 2002; ). In addition, there are a multitude of negative behavioural, psychological, interpersonal, and academic problems associated with problem gambling. Among youth, problem gambling has been shown to result in increased delinquency and criminal behaviour, poor academic performance, higher rates of school truancy and dropout, and disrupted familial and peer relationships (Hardoon et al., 2002; Wynne, Smith, & Jacobs, 1996). Such negative outcomes have short- and long-term implications for the individual, for their friends and family, as well as for society at large (Derevensky, Gupta, Hardoon, Dickson, & Deguire, 2003). To date, few public awa

Youth Gambling A Public Health Perspective