Link between teen’s simulated online gambling and real wagering as adults

Do you know what online games your kids are playing? Teens who play simulated gambling games are more likely to become adult gamblers, a new study shows.

Almost one in 10 Australians aged 18 and 19, 54,000, were at risk of, or already experiencing, gambling problems, research finds.

Sixteen and 17-year-olds who play simulated gambling games online are significantly more likely to go on to spend real money on gambling when they hit 18, a study shows.

Almost one in 10 Australians aged 18 and 19, 54,000, were at risk of, or already experiencing, gambling problems, the research finds, with 13 per cent of males that age exhibiting at-risk gambling behaviour compared with 4 per cent of females.

The report from the Australian Institute of Family Studies finds adolescents who regularly play games that don’t require money like Zynga Poker, Slotomania and Big Fish Casino have a 40 percentage point greater probability of gambling with real money when they are young adults than others their age. The biggest correlation is with horse or dog racing (a 29 percentage point higher probability), followed by gambling on casino tables (26 percentage points) and sports betting (21 percentage points).

Using data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, the report found one in five 16 to 17-year-olds played simulated gambling games, with boys (24 per cent) more likely to do so than girls (15 per cent).

The study found no association between adolescents who played other video games daily and gambling in young adulthood, apart from sports betting, but it noted the fourfold increase in at-risk gambling behaviour between adolescence and young adulthood.

“At 16 to 17 years, 2 per cent of young Australians were classified as at risk of, or already experiencing, gambling-related prob­lems, the study, “What is the link between video gaming and gambling?”, says. “Two years later, 9 per cent were classified as at risk of, or already experiencing, gambling-related problems.”

Parent gambling and higher levels of alcohol consumption were also risk factors.

“Young adults had a 10 percentage points higher probability of gambling if their parents also gambled,” it says. “Compared to young adults who drank 10 drinks or less, young adults who drank more than 10 drinks during the last seven days had a 12 percentage points higher probability of participating in gambling.”

The study noted some of the online simulated gambling sites frequented by young people resemble poker machines, and others resemble casino tables with the added attraction that they can interact with others via the internet and social networking sites.