Youth Gambling and
Problem Gambling
Joanna Franklin MS NCGC II
Maryland Council on Problem Gambling
Jfranklin.ipg@gmail.com
From a review by:
Jeff Derevensky PhD and Rina Gupta PhD
McGill University, Montreal Canada
Youth Gambling and Problem Gambling
Gambling behavior can best be understood and
measured along a continuum of risk.

The continuum ranges from no gambling to social
gambling to problem and pathological gambling

While most of us gamble responsibly, some of us fail to
control our level of playing, or are unable to stop and fail
to set and maintain reasonable limits.

Problem gambling is a growing concern among children
and youth.


Youth Gambling and Problem Gambling
Gambling Problems
Public Health Interventions
None
Mild
Moderate
No gambling
Severe
Problem
Social gambling
Pathological
Gambling
Brief
Intensive
Treatment
Secondary
Prevention
Primary Prevention
Harm
Reduction
Korn & Shaffer, 99
Problem and pathological gambling have a number of
concomitant negative personal, familial, social, economic
and health consequences.

Prevalence rates in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New
Zealand and the U. K. indicate about 80% of underage
youth report gambling during the past year.

4-6% experience severe problems and 10-15% are at
risk for the development of a severe gambling problem.

Adolescent prevalence rates of problem gamblers are
greater than those of adults.

Youth Problem Gambling Health and Social Correlates
Adolescent problem gamblers report beginning
gambling at earlier ages, about 10 years of age.

Adolescents move rapidly from social gambler to
problem gambler and report early gambling in the home
and with family.

Gambling is more popular among males and more
problem gamblers are males.

Psychological
Trauma/
Abuse
Dysfunctional
Self-Object
Relations
Inadequate
Coping Skills
Affective
Lability
SelfDeception
Over
Indulgent
Chaos/
Neglect
Dysfunctional
Core Beliefs
Stress and
Frustration
Intolerance
Avoidance
and
Omnipotence
Irrational
Thinking
Identity
Confusion
Ego
Deficits
Self-Soothing
Deficits
Pathological Gambling
Illusion of control and fantasies of power and success. Allows escape from intolerable emotions.
Creates fantasied identity. Belief in gambling as only solution and escape.
Reenacts trauma and loss with illusion of gaining control. Regulates affect.
L. Rugle PhD
There are more adolescents engaged in gambling than
other potentially addictive behaviors.

Past Year Use %
Gr 7 Gr 9 Gr 11
Alcohol
36.8
62.2 79.8
Drugs
3.5
13.4 26.5
Cigarettes 18.2
34.5 48.4
Weekly Use %
Gr 7 Gr 9 Gr 11
7.4 14.0 20.2
2.7
2.1
9.0
7.0
16.1 31.4
Gambling
30.4
79.1
78.9
83.4
37.4
37.1
Grade 7 (12-13 yrs.) Grade 9 (14-15) Grade 11 (16-17)
(Gupta & Derevensky, 1998a)
Youth Problem Gambling Health and Social Correlates
About 4.2% of 12-17 yr. olds have an alcohol
abuse problem.
 About 2.3% have an illicit drug abuse problem (NHS-DA 01).
 Both are lower than the 4-6% of youth with severe
gambling problems (Gupta & Derevensky 98a).


Problem and pathological gambling result in:
increased delinquency and crime
 disruption of familial relationships
 decreased academic performance, higher truancy, poor grades
 higher rates of depression
 higher rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts

Youth Problem Gambling Health and Social Correlates
Adolescent gamblers have lower self-esteem compared
with other adolescents.

Prone to engaging in multiple co-occurring addictive
behaviors (smoking, drinking, drug use/abuse).

Have been found to have a greater need for sensation
seeking and more likely to take risks and to be excited and
aroused while gambling.

Adolescent problem gamblers dissociate more frequently
when gambling.

Youth Problem Gambling Health and Social Correlates
Have poor general coping skills.

Have difficulty conforming to social norms and
experience difficulties with self-discipline.

Adolescents often fail to understand the risks or odds
associated with gambling.

Types of Gambling Popular Among Youth
Popular gambling among “regular” young gamblers is
dependent on developmental level, gambling opportunities,
Accessibility, legal restrictions, and cultural factors.

Males: gamble on cards, sports pools, sporting events,
games of skill.
Females: gamble on cards, lottery tickets, and bingo.

Lottery remains the most preferred gambling activity for
all adolescent gamblers.

Percentage of respondents reporting additional
problems according to gambling severity (N=817)

80
sought help for addiction
suicidal ideation
attempted suicide
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
non gambler
* grades 7, 9, & 11
gambler NP
gambler SP
PPG
(Gupta & Derevensky, 1998)
Data from the 2006 Oregon Healthy Teens
Survey
Jeff Marotta PhD
Problem Gambling Solutions Inc
Method
•Districts within counties and schools within districts
were randomly selected
•Surveys were administered to nearly one-half of
Oregon’s 8th and 11th graders
•Information was collected from about 30,000
students
•Participating students came from 248 schools in 34
counties
The Question
Have you carried a handgun during the past 12
months?
25
Percent
20
15
10
5
0
Carried a handgun
Nongambler,
grade 8
Gambler,
grade 8
Nongambler,
grade 11
Gambler,
grade 11
7.1
23.2
5.2
16.8
Were you in a physical fight during the past 12
months?
35
30
Percent
25
20
15
10
5
0
In a physical fight
Nongambler, grade 8
Gambler, grade 8
Nongambler, grade 11
Gambler, grade 11
1.8
6.2
12.1
30.4
Have you attacked someone with the idea of seriously
hurting them during the past 12 months?
25
Percent
20
15
10
5
0
Nongambler, Gambler, grade Nongambler, Gambler, grade
grade 8
8
grade 11
11
Attacked to hurt
8.3
22.7
5.7
15
Have you had beer or wine or hard liquor to drink
during the past 30 days?
70
60
Percent
50
40
30
20
10
0
Drank alcohol
Nongambler, grade
8
Gambler, grade 8
Nongambler, grade
11
Gambler, grade 11
26
48.7
41.3
60.3
Have you ever had sexual intercourse?
60
50
30
Percent
40
20
10
0
Nongambler, grade 8
Gambler, grade 8
Nongambler, grade 11
Gambler, grade 11
What Does This Data Mean?
More Plausible Interpretations . .
Students who gamble are significantly more
likely to participate in other risk behaviors
We know that high risk behaviors tend to cluster
and gambling appears to fit within a risk
behavior matrix
Implications
Gambling is one of many activities that carry risk
and should be addressed as such in school and
community prevention efforts
Gambling should be a signal to parents that they
ought to be talking to teens about risky behaviors
including gambling
Prevention Initiatives
Few programs exist today.
They have been aimed primarily at elementary and high
school students.

These programs are generally lectures, printed curricula,
videos and/or CD-ROMS.

They vary from “scared straight tactics” to “show and
tell” to early intervention with a few true primary
prevention efforts.

Treatment for Youth with Gambling Problems
Current treatment paradigms for adolescent and young
adults have in general been based upon a number of
theoretical approaches and parallel those used for adults:

Psychoanalytic, psychodynamic
Behavioral
Cognitive
And cognitive-behavioral
Psychopharmacological
 Biological/genetic
Addiction-based and self-help

Currently there is no consensus on what constitutes best
practice standards for treating adolescents with gambling
problems.

Resources and References

National Council on Problem Gambling
www.ncpgambling@aol.com
US National Helpline Service 800-522-4700


Responsible Gaming Council of Ontario

www.responsiblegambling.org
McGill University Youth Gambling Research and
Treatment Clinic

www.education.mcgill.ca/gambling
ygi@youthgambling.com


Minnesota Institute of Public Health
www.miph.com
Deal Me In, Table Talk, Improving the Odds etc.
