Though legal gambling is more widespread than in the past, it remains illegal for Americans in most situations — and especially for minors. But several recent studies suggest that the rate of gambling among American teenagers is skyrocketing.
“This is the first generation of kids growing up when gambling is legal and available virtually nationwide,” George Meldrum of the Delaware Council on Gambling Problems told the Associated Press. “Casinos, racetracks-they take it for granted.”
In the past 10 years, dozens of states and municipalities across the country have legalized lotteries and casino gambling. Additionally, the growth of the Internet has made online casino gambling easily accessible to even young children.
Several regional surveys suggest that nearly a third of all high-school students gamble regularly. Although most teen gambling is confined to low-stakes games – craps, betting on sporting events, Internet gambling- teenage gambling has been linked in many studies to higher rates of other illegal behavior, such as underage drinking, drug use and criminal activity.
Rates of compulsive, or problem, gambling among teenagers is higher than among adults- 8 percent compared to 3 percent.
Those figures are according to the International Center for Youth Gambling Problems, based at Canada’s McGill University.
The problem isn’t confined to older teens.
A recent statewide study conducted by the Deleware Council on Gambling Problems showed that nearly a third of 6,734 eighth-graders surveyed had gambled in 2002.
The survey was among the largest teen-gambling study ever conducted.
The study also found that 9 percent of the eighth-graders had gambled on Internet casinos.
(ABP)
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