16% Aussie teens have gambled past year

A recent survey conducted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies shows that 16 per cent of Aussie teens age 16 to 17 have been involved in one form of real-money gambling or another over the past twelve months.

Their gambling activity was mostly private betting with friends or family. However, some teenagers reported betting on sports and races which have strict age restrictions requiring people to be 18 years or over.

According to the LSAC data, about one in five boys admitted to having wagered real money as compared to one in eight girls. Nearly 3 per cent of all survey participants exhibited at-risk behaviours associated with problem gambling.

“The study found that teenagers were more likely to gamble if they or their friends engaged in risky behaviours such as drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes or using cannabis. On the other hand, they were less likely to gamble if their friends had a positive attitude towards academic achievement and were interested in doing well at school,” explained LSAC researcher Dr Rebecca Jenkinson.

The study, based on 10,000 adolescents, also suggests a possible correlation between simulated gambling in video games and the likelihood of Aussie teens suffering from gambling-related problems during their adult life.

“Our study found that the number of 16-17 year-olds who had spent money on at least one gambling activity in the previous 12 months was significantly higher among those who had also played gambling-like games during that time,” stated Dr Jenkinson.

In Australia, only persons of legal age (18) are permitted to enter the premises of local gaming venues, and customers are expected to provide satisfactory proof of their age. However, this has not prevented roughly 1 in 50 of teens from this age group to spend money on prohibited products like casino-style table games, pokie machines, and keno.