Problem Gambling & the
Adolescent Brain
Oregon Problem Gambling Services;
Material from Dr. Ken Winters & Dr.
Jon Grant

Adolescence is a period of
profound brain
maturation.

We thought brain
development was
complete by adolescence

We now know…
maturation is not
complete until about
age 24!!!
An Immature Brain =
Less Brakes on the “Go” System
Construction Ahead
• Growth of the brain’s nerve cells
(neurons) occurs through late
childhood
• 1,000,000,000,000,000 possible
connections.
• Around 11 – GIRLS; 12½ - BOYS:
• Some of these connections
are pruned off and remaining
ones are strengthened.
Construction Ahead
• When the pruning is complete, the
brain is faster and more efficient.
• But… during the pruning process, the
brain is not functioning at full capacity
Neurological maturation starts at the
back of the brain, and moves to the
front
Amygdal
a
Judgme
nt
Emotion
Motivati
on
Prefrontal
Cortex
Nucleus
Accumben
s
Physical
coordinati
on
Cerebellu
m
Notice: Judgment is last to develop!
Judgment Gets Better
with Age
• By age 18, the adolescent’s judgement for
structured challenges is roughly equal to that
of adults.
• But judgement that involves resisting
impulses or delaying gratification is still
under construction during late adolescence
and early adulthood.
The dopamine system is more robust during
adolescence than in adulthood
• novel stimuli trigger firing of dopamine; the
experience is rewarded by a dopamine burst

• Compared to adults, the robust dopamine system of
adolescence will contribute to a more heightened
reward experience in the face of novel stimuli
Implications of “Arrested
Development” for Adolescent
Behavior
We can infer...….
• Preference for physical activity
• Preference for high excitement and low
effort activities
• Preference for novelty
• Poor planning and judgment
• Minimal consideration of negative
consequences
• More risky, impulsive behaviors
• Some evidence that being in a group accentuates risk taking
1. Background
3. Neurodevelopment
and gambling
• youth in general
• ADHD youth
2. Neurodevelopment
Does normal brain development contribute to
adolescent susceptibility to gambling?
INDIRECT SUPPORT:
1. > risk taking (particularly in groups) (gambling?)
2. > propensity toward low effort - high excitement
activities (gambling?)
3. < capacity for good judgment & weighing
consequences (gambling?)
4. > sensitivity to novel stimuli (gambling?)