Majority of parents would know if their teen was betting online

Shirley Pulis Xerxen January 22, 2024

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Majority of parents would know if their teen was betting online

The rise of online gaming has made it easily accessible to teens and young adults, with little regulation or awareness about the potential risks involved. The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health recently surveyed parents of teens aged 14-18, shedding light on the prevalence of online betting and the lack of parental understanding.

Highlights

Over half of parents do not know their state’s legal age for online betting.
1 in 4 parents have talked with their teen about online gaming.
55% of parents think they would definitely know if their teen was betting.

According to the poll, one-third of parents (31%) reported that they or another adult in their household engaged in online, in-person, or social betting. Furthermore, 63% of parents acknowledged seeing or hearing advertisements for online sports or casino betting in the past year. Despite this exposure, over half of parents (55%) were unaware of their state’s legal age for online betting.

Concerns about the impact of online gaming on teens prompted the survey, with 67% of parents advocating for a legal age of 21 for online betting. Only 2% of parents believed their teen had used an online betting platform, with a higher incidence among parents of teen boys compared to girls (3% vs. 0.4%). Additionally, 55% of parents were confident they would know if their teen was betting online.

The survey revealed that one in four parents (25%) had discussed some aspect of online betting with their teens. These discussions covered topics such as risks (18%), reasons against it (12%), the prevalence of advertisements (4%), and strategies for winning (2%). However, many parents remained uncertain about key aspects of online gaming, including its potential for addiction, the influence of social betting, and the ease with which teens can open online accounts.

Parents identified various risks associated with online betting for youth, including accumulating debt (83%), developing a gaming addiction (77%), damaging credit scores (51%), and potential links to drug or alcohol abuse (27%). Proposed strategies to minimize these risks included restricting betting after a set loss (43%), implementing a “parent view” option for monitoring accounts (38%), age verification with photo ID (33%), limiting bet amounts within a certain timeframe (33%), and covering treatment costs for those with gaming addictions (25%).

The implications of the survey underscore the prevalence of gaming advertisements, particularly targeting teens through popular entertainers and sports figures. While over half of states have legalized some form of online gaming, the lack of uniformity in regulations and loopholes in age verification contribute to the increased accessibility of betting for teens online.

Despite concerns about the risks, only 2% of parents believed their teen had engaged in online betting. However, the survey highlights the potential underestimation of teen involvement due to the ease of discreet access through personal devices. Parents are encouraged to initiate open conversations with their teens about the risks of online gaming and to be aware of state regulations. Seeking immediate help for concerns about online betting is crucial, as states offer gaming hotlines that can guide families to treatment resources for gaming addiction.

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