• Online Gambling Among Youth Statistics
• Online Gambling Among Youth Quotes
• Online Gambling Among Youth Ages

Internet Gambling Among Teens and College Students Gambling is a popular pastime for adults, whether it is purchasing lotto tickets, betting on sports games or casino-style gambling. Development in impulsivity is associated strongly with problem/at‐risk gambling in adolescence among urban male youth. Findings highlight the importance of distinguishing gambling problems from any gambling when evaluating programs aimed at reducing youth gambling problems through reducing impulsivity. Volume108, Issue4 April 2013.

For most youth, gaming isn’t a problem. For some, it turns into more than just a game.

Did you know that the definition of “gambling” is “risking money or something of value on the hopes of obtaining something of greater value” (APA, 2013)? Many teens risk something — whether it’s real money, soda, or virtual coins–on trying to get something more (whether that’s money or in-game rewards, or something else).

Prevention experts know, like with alcohol and drugs, that the earlier on in life a person begins to gamble, the more likely that individual is to develop a problem later in life.

Kids who play casino-like video games for free are also more likely to start gambling (King, et al., 2010).

Below: Our new “Teens, Gaming & Gambling” brochure. Download it here.

Thousands of teens in Oregon already show signs of problems with gambling.

Parents, educators, and other adults should consider the potential pitfalls of gambling among our youth.

Consider that young people don’t always yet have the best coping or decision-making skills. Young people can easily hide a gambling problem. And for many, the problem develops over several years. Many person with a gambling problems say they started out gambling at an early age–approximately 10 years old (Gupta & Derevensky, 2001; Gupta & Derevensky, 1998a). With no needle marks, drowsy walking, bloodshot eyes, or other tell-tale signs, a young person who has a gambling problem can easily hide it.

• Adolescent brains offer a perfect environment for gambling with their preference for high activity low effort/high stimulation. Add to that the fact that parents and schools often aren’t talking to kids about the risks, and you can see why there is concern. Too often we hear “Kids gambling too much? No way…if they were we’d know it;” yet data from the Oregon Healthy Teens survey and other research tell a very different story:
  • Most Oregon adolescents (63 percent) have gambled; their preferred games include free Internet gambling-type games, cards (poker), sports bets, and games of personal skill (Volberg, 2008).
  • One youth per classroom already has a (hidden) gambling problem (Volberg, 2008)

Teens who gamble have higher rates of:

• Alcohol & binge drinking (Student Wellness Survey, 2016)
• Drug use, including marijuana (Student Wellness Survey, 2016)
• Suicidal thoughts and attempts (Student Wellness Survey, 2016)
• School problems (e.g., lower grades, truancy, behavior issues; Student Wellness Survey, 2016)
• Depression (Student Wellness Survey, 2016)
• Thoughts about suicide (Student Wellness Survey, 2014)
• Family problems (e.g., withdrawal, behavior issues)
• Peer relationship problems
• Legal and money troubles
• Dissociative, “escape” behaviors

Sources: 2014 Oregon Student Wellness Survey Data, Oregon Healthy Teens, Gupta &Derevensky; 1998a; Gupta & Derevensky, 1998b; Vitaro, Ferland, Jacques &Ladouceur, 1998; Wallisch & Liu, 1996; Winters & Anderson, 2000; Wynne, Smith, & Jacobs, 1996.

Next: What kids are gambling on

Related: Why is problem gambling prevention important?

Millennials in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are using their mobile phones to bet on football and are spending less than $50USD per month. Kenya has the highest number of betting youth , this is according to a recent GeoPoll rapid survey carried out among youth between the ages of
17-35 in Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya.

Based on a rapid survey conducted by GeoPoll earlier this year, over 50% of earnings by youth consumers is spent on personal care. This is much higher than gambling. As noted in the report, gambling is becoming popular among male African Millennials in SSA due to their high affinity towards sports and the proliferation of local sports betting players.

Online Gambling Among Youth Statistics

As highlighted in that report, this is still a very nascent industry and in the survey on spending habits, only 3 percent of Youth consumers in SSA indicated that they spend part of their income on gambling.

In this deep dive report, we sought to further explore the effects of continued targeted marketing by betting companies towards this age group and get better insights into; exactly how much is spent, how frequently and on what, are the youth betting.

Gambling frequency

Most youth (54%) in SSA have tried their hand at gambling. Kenya has the highest number of youth who have participated in gambling or betting in the past at 76% followed by Uganda at 57%. Ghana has the least number at 42%

Online Gambling Among Youth Quotes

The frequency of gambling is highest among Kenyans compared to their fellow Africans. Whilst the rest bet mostly once a month, a majority of Kenyans bet once a week. As seen in the graph below, sports betting is the most preferred. The fixtures for football matches especially the English premier league are over the weekends.

Sports Betting

Among the most popular gambling options, football betting reigns in all other countries except in South Africa. Kenyan youths bet the most with 79% of bets placed on football matches.

In South Africa, lotteries are a more preferred gambling choice compared to football, casino, racing and poker.

Mobile usage

The mobile phone has become the most convenient tool for those gambling. 75% of those who bet do so using their mobile phones with Kenya having the highest number of mobile usage for gambling at 96%. South Africa, though having the highest rate of mobile penetration in Africa, has the lowest usage of the mobile for gambling at 48%.

The Jackpot

Online Gambling Among Youth Ages

Kenya is the leader in the most amount of money spent on gambling. Unlike youth in other African countries, most Kenyan youth bet once a week spending about $50 per month mostly on football bets. Youth elsewhere spend less than 50USD a month and most bet only once a month.

The average amount spent on bets is below $50 per month. A majority have never won any amount above $50.

Mobile phones have become the African Las Vegas. Football betting and the popularity of English football leagues continue to grow in a symbiotic way with a growing youth population that continues to be defined by its uptake of technology. Although the stakes are not yet high, all the signs are there of a steady and unfettered domination of sports entertainment and gambling in sub-Saharan Africa.

This GeoPoll rapid survey was conducted in March 2017 among 3,879 youth in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania using the GeoPoll mobile App.