Gambling and Online Betting Addiction in Teenagers: Warning Signs and Support

How does gambling addiction and online betting start in teenagers, and which signs need attention? Learn what families can do and what support is available.

Predictions that begin with a small sum on a match result, virtual crates bought in a phone game, or a bet that starts as a joke in a group of friends... Gambling addiction in teenagers often begins with steps that seem this innocent. With the spread of smartphones and online betting adverts appearing so often on social media, gambling is no longer a risk that belongs only to the adult world. In this article we look at how gambling and online betting behaviour develops in teenagers, the warning signs that families should watch for, the steps that can be taken at home, and what path professional support follows.

What Is Gambling Addiction?

Gambling addiction is when a person cannot control their gambling despite its negative consequences, when this behaviour takes up more and more of their life, and when it clearly affects their relationships, school, work or financial situation. Defined in the mental health field as gambling disorder, this condition is among the behavioural addictions, which involve no substance but follow a cycle similar to substance addictions.

At the heart of gambling is staking something of value, usually money, on an event whose outcome is uncertain. The chance of winning strongly stimulates the brain's reward system. But this stimulation occurs not only when winning but also in "almost won" moments. This leads the person to keep playing, believing they will win on the next attempt.

While the teenage brain is extremely active in terms of sensitivity to reward, the ability to control impulses and weigh long-term consequences is still developing. For this reason, adolescents can be more vulnerable than adults to the appeal of gambling behaviour.

Gambling addiction often develops gradually rather than all at once. Small bets placed at first for fun or excitement can, over time, become more frequent and larger. The person begins to take more risks to feel the same thrill, feels restless when not playing, and feels the need to hide their losses. This gradual progression can mean the problem is noticed late by both the young person and the family.

How Do Teenagers Come Into Contact with Gambling and Online Betting?

The ways in which teenagers meet gambling are quite different from those of earlier generations.

Online betting sites and apps

Illegal betting sites can be open to teenagers without age verification, or with checks that are easy to get around. Links shared on social media and in messaging groups, and "bonus" and "free bet" offers, can steer teenagers to these sites.

In-game purchases and virtual crates

Some video games have features such as "loot boxes", "crates" or "wheels", whose contents are decided at random. The young person hopes to win a valuable item by spending real money or in-game currency. These mechanisms can set off psychological processes similar to gambling and can form a bridge to gambling behaviour.

Social media and peer influence

Screenshots showing winnings, content creators promising "easy money" and bets made in friendship groups can make gambling look normal, even attractive. The young person's wish to be accepted in their own friendship group can also increase their involvement in this behaviour.

Sport and match culture

Given the place football has in our lives, it is not surprising that match predictions are a source of fun and conversation. But when these predictions are tied to money, watching a match can turn from a source of excitement into a cycle of anxiety and loss.

What Are the Symptoms of Gambling Addiction in Teenagers?

Unlike substance use, gambling leaves no clear marks on the body, so it can be hard to spot. The following signs are warnings that families should watch for:

• Changes to do with money: Unexplained need for money, frequently asking for loans, money or belongings going missing from the home, pocket money running out quickly
• Unexpected transactions on a bank card, a parent's account or payment apps
• Excessive interest in match results, odds and statistics; excessively emotional reactions to match results
• Constantly checking the phone, hiding the screen, staying up until late at night
• A fall in school achievement, absences, neglecting responsibilities
• Sudden mood changes: excessive cheerfulness when winning, anger, tension and withdrawal when losing
• Lying, inconsistent explanations about where they were or where the money was spent
• Withdrawing from activities and friends they used to enjoy
• Playing more to make up for losses ("I'll win back what I lost")

Suppose a seventeen-year-old has been saying for the last few months that their pocket money always runs out in the middle of the month, shuts themselves in their room in the evenings at match times, and gets disproportionately angry when their team loses. This picture alone does not mean a diagnosis of addiction; but it is an important sign that calls for an open and calm conversation with the young person.

Causes That Feed Gambling Behaviour

Behind gambling behaviour in teenagers there is usually more than one factor:

• The idea of easy money: In periods when economic hardship grows, the idea of "making money the quick way" can become more attractive to young people.
• Emotional escape: Anxiety, exam stress, loneliness or problems at home can lead the young person to use gambling as a way of escaping.
• Impulsivity and sensation seeking: The tendency to seek new and intense experiences increases in adolescence.
• Thinking errors: Thoughts such as "This time it's sure to come in", "I have a system" and "I can win back what I lost" feed the illusion of control.
• Examples in the family and surroundings: Having people in the family or close circle who gamble can make the behaviour seem ordinary.
• Co-occurring conditions: Conditions such as attention deficit, low mood or anxiety can be seen together with gambling behaviour.

Teenagers and the Risk of Online Betting in Turkey

In Turkey, football is an important part of social life, and talk about matches often features in young people's friendships. Add to this the illegal betting adverts that have become widespread on social media, promotions that use famous names, and "sure win" claims shared in messaging groups, and the chances of young people encountering this world rise.

The cost of living and anxiety about the future also hold an important place in this picture. A young person thinking about university costs, their pocket money or contributing to their family may see online betting as an "opportunity". To read about the effect of uncertainty about the future on young people, you can read our article on anxiety about the future. Some young people, to hide the money they have lost from their families, may turn to riskier routes such as borrowing, selling belongings or using other people's accounts. It is important that families develop both awareness and a non-judgemental attitude on this subject. Talking with the young person about how the winning stories shown in adverts do not reflect reality, and how the stories of those who lose are almost never shared, can help them look at this content more critically.

A young person with a gambling problem often fears not so much their family's anger as their disappointment; this is why the tone of the first conversation is extremely important.

What Can Families Do?

Create an environment where talking is possible

Starting to talk about gambling and online betting before a problem appears can be protective. Talking together about betting adverts, in-game crates or bets in friendship groups helps the young person think critically about these matters.

Stay calm when you notice

It is entirely understandable to feel anger, fear and disappointment when you find out that your child is gambling. But shouting, belittling or threatening can lead the young person to hide more. First regulate your own feelings, then talk in a calm setting.

Be curious and listen

Try to understand the young person's experience with questions such as "When did it start, how did it start, how does it make you feel?" Understanding what need gambling meets in their life is an important clue for change.

Don't limit the conversation to a single occasion

Gambling is not an issue to be talked about once and closed. In the first conversation the young person may become defensive, play it down or deny it altogether. These reactions do not mean that change is impossible. Leaving the door open, calmly raising the subject again at intervals and noticing the young person's small steps helps trust to be rebuilt over time. When the young person themselves asks for support, taking that request seriously is very valuable.

Put sensible controls on access to money

Making reasonable arrangements over bank cards, payment apps and online accounts reduces the risk in the short term. It is more effective to present these steps to the young person not as a punishment but as a safety measure taken together. If the young person has debts, it is important that they know they can share them with you.

Review the digital environment

Using age-appropriate content filters on devices, blocking betting adverts and putting limits on in-game purchases can be useful. For general advice on screen use, you can also take a look at our article on screen addiction.

Offer alternative areas of excitement and achievement

Sport, music, volunteering, suitable part-time jobs or new hobbies can help the young person experience both excitement and a sense of achievement in healthy ways.

Seek support for yourself too

Dealing with a young person's gambling problem is extremely draining for the family. Parents getting support to cope with their own feelings allows them to manage the process in a healthier way.

When Should You Seek Professional Support?

When gambling addiction is noticed in a teenager, it is an understandable step for families to try first to find a solution on their own; but if the behaviour continues, specialist support can make an important difference. In the following situations, it can be useful to get support from a mental health professional:

• If the young person wants to stop gambling but cannot
• If they play more to make up for their losses, or the amounts they play are rising
• If behaviours such as borrowing, stealing money or selling belongings have begun
• If school, family relationships and friendships have been clearly affected
• If the young person feels intense guilt, shame, anxiety or hopelessness
• If they talk about thoughts of harming themselves or not wanting to live; in such an emergency, 112 (emergency services) should be called

Emotional difficulties such as depression or anxiety may often accompany a gambling problem. In these cases, an assessment by a psychiatrist may also be recommended.

How Is Gambling Addiction Addressed in Therapy?

The first step in therapy is to understand together the frequency, onset, triggers and effects on life of the young person's gambling behaviour. In this process a non-judgemental attitude that supports the young person's motivation to change is important, because many young people may find it hard at first to accept the size of the problem.

Cognitive behavioural therapy is one of the approaches often used for gambling problems, with its effectiveness supported by research. The following areas are usually worked on in this process:

• Noticing and re-evaluating thinking errors such as "I'll win this time" and "I have a system"
• Recognising the situations, feelings and settings that trigger the urge to gamble
• Developing skills for coping with and delaying the urge
• Finding healthy ways of coping with distress, stress and boredom
• Preparing a prevention plan against the risk of returning to gambling

Sessions with the family make it possible to think together about financial arrangements, communication at home and ways of supporting the young person. You can find more information about work with adolescents on the adolescent counselling page. Therapy aims not to make the problem disappear overnight, but to accompany the young person as they regain control step by step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does placing a bet now and then mean gambling addiction?

Not every betting behaviour means addiction. However, for teenagers gambling is risky both legally and psychologically. The frequency of the behaviour, whether it can be controlled and its effect on other areas of life are important in assessing how serious the situation is.

Do loot box features in games count as gambling?

In-game purchases that give random rewards can set off psychological mechanisms similar to gambling. For this reason, it is useful to limit this kind of spending, especially with real money, and to talk with the young person about it.

Should I pay my child's debts?

Rather than deciding in a hurry whether to pay the debts, it is important to assess the situation as a whole. Paying the debts unconditionally can sometimes let the cycle continue; leaving the young person entirely alone can lead them to turn to riskier routes. It may be healthier to plan this together with a specialist.

Can gambling addiction be treated?

Many young people with gambling problems can learn to control their behaviour with the right support. The process differs from person to person, and setbacks may occur from time to time. What matters is to see these setbacks not as failure but as part of the process.

• #online betting
• #adolescent psychology
• #addiction
• #parenting

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Eda Erkan Alapala

Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.

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