Online Gambling, Video Games, and Kids
No. 147; June 2026
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Key Takeaways
- Online gambling is easy to access through apps, games, and sports betting platforms. Because teens' brains are still developing, they may be more likely to take risks and have difficulty recognizing when gambling is becoming a problem.
- Gambling can affect mental health, behavior, and daily functioning. Problems may include mood changes, secrecy, financial losses, and difficulties at school, home, or with friends.
- Parents can help by talking openly about gambling, monitoring online activity, and setting clear expectations and limits.
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Most parents know to worry about a teen spending money on a sports betting app. However, many of today’s youth gamble in a way that looks nothing like a casino. It looks like buying a loot box in a video game, purchasing gaming currency to spend on a chance for virtual rewards, or betting on an election through a prediction market app. All of these examples involve spending money without knowing what you will get—also known as gambling.
While many teens may place the occasional bet without long-term harm, some become obsessed and lose control of their gambling. The teen brain is still developing. The parts that control urges and consider risks are not fully mature until the mid-20s. That means teens are more likely to develop gambling addictions than people who first try gambling as adults. More than two-thirds of adult problem gamblers say their gambling started when they were young.
What Is Gambling Disorder?
Most young people who try gambling do not develop a problem. However, for some, what starts as fun becomes a habit they cannot control. That is when gambling becomes a disorder.
Gambling disorder is a recognized condition, similar to an addiction to drugs or alcohol. A child or teen may have gambling disorder if several of these signs show up in one year:
- Needing to gamble with more money to feel the same thrill
- Trying to cut back or stop but not being able to
- Feeling irritable or restless when unable to gamble
- Gambling to escape stress, boredom, or unhappiness
- Gambling more after a loss to try to win the money back (i.e., "chasing losses")
- Lying about how much money is lost gambling
- Falling behind at school, fighting with parents, or losing touch with friends because of gambling
- Stealing money to gamble
Boys are more likely to gamble than girls, and children and teens with ADHD, depression, anxiety, and/or substance use are at higher risk of developing gambling disorders. It can be harder for them to stop when a reward feels close.
Gambling Starts Earlier Than You Think
For younger children, gambling often starts inside a video game. Loot boxes, card packs, and in-game purchases offer a chance at a rare or desired item. Kids spend money not knowing what they will get in return. Offline, “blind boxes” sold as collectibles work the same way. Children often do not see these as gambling, but the appeal is the same.
Many free games are purposely built to hook players. Early on, rewards occur easily and often. Once players are invested in the game, rewards are harder to come by, and players may be tempted to spend money for randomized chances to win rare game items.
Gambling Behavior Evolves Over Time
Older teens are more likely to use sports betting apps, visit online casinos, or participate in fantasy sports leagues. More teens are also using prediction markets—apps where users bet real money on things like celebrity behavior, sports results, or current events. Some prediction market apps use digital currencies like Bitcoin or are based outside the U.S. to make it easier for minors to sign up. The money to gamble frequently comes from a parent’s credit card, often used without the parent’s knowledge.
Warning Signs of Gambling Disorder
Parents and family members should watch for the following:
- Unexplained charges on family credit cards
- Asking for a debit or credit card for no clear reason
- Unexplained cash or purchases
- Increased screen time they get defensive about
- Pulling away from friends, sports, or activities they used to enjoy
- Sleep problems from staying up late on screens
- Outsized emotional reactions for a sports score or news event
- A new fixation on gambling talk, or on statistics for a sport they previously didn’t care about
- Sliding grades or missing school
- Lying about spending or screen time
- Sneaking smartphones, tablets, or computers into places where they are not allowed
- Friends, teachers, or other parents raising concerns
What Families Can Do
Parents and family members should model healthy relationships with gambling platforms and screen time. How adults talk about gambling matters. Treating sports betting or lottery tickets as harmless or glamorizing big wins can encourage children to gamble.
- Know what your child is doing online. Ask about in-game purchases, gambling games, and betting apps.
- Encourage a healthy balance of offline activities and hobbies.
- Talk to your children about gambling before a problem starts.
- Explain the dangers of loot boxes, blind boxes, and betting apps.
- Set clear rules about video games, other gambling platforms, and spending money online.
- Set financial safeguards on every device.
- Require approval for in-app purchases.
- Set spending limits on gaming accounts.
- Remove saved payment information from consoles, smartphones, tablets, and gaming accounts your child uses.
When to Seek Help for Gambling Disorder
Gambling disorder can cause serious harm. When a young person loses a lot of money or feels deep shame, the risk of suicidal thinking goes up. Gambling problems can lead to or worsen depression, as well as addiction to drugs or alcohol.
How a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Can Help
A child and adolescent psychiatrist can determine if your child has a gambling problem, look for related conditions, and build a treatment plan to address them. They may prescribe medications or recommend individual therapy. Counseling helps children and teens spot the thinking that drives out-of-control gambling and build skills to stop it. Family therapy can also be helpful. Medications may treat related conditions like ADHD or depression.
If you need more information:
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