There is an epidemic affecting teens that’s been on the rise for years.
It’s not vaping, social media, or any other hot topic issue on the morning news. This epidemic can’t be seen, and signs of abuse are almost never obvious. It’s something that hundreds of students at Marcus grapple with.
This epidemic is gambling, specifically sports gambling.
Sports gambling has become more mainstream since “daily fantasy” was legalized in Texas. Daily fantasy is when users pick players and decide if they will go over or under a certain stat.
Apps like Prize Picks, Sleeper, Underdog and other betting sites use the term daily fantasy in order to stay legal in states that do not allow true sports books. True sports books are sites and apps that allow betting on teams and future outcomes of events. These apps are easily accessible for teens despite being rated 18+. Any teen with access to their parent’s ID or social security number can use the apps without any other proof of identification.
John*, a student at Marcus, said he battled a sports betting addiction for almost a year. The addiction began when John and his friends wanted to put money on last year’s Super Bowl. While his friends were able to either cut their losses or take home their winnings, John couldn’t help but continue to chase the rush of winning.
“I thought it’d be fun to put 20 bucks on the game with some friends. Then my bet hit,” John said, “After that I was hooked — I had made more money in just that night than I had for the last few months combined.”
With the opportunity readily just a few clicks away, John was gambling almost daily. Whether it was football, basketball, or even sports he had little knowledge about, John continued to place bets.
During the summer was when the losses began to take a true toll on John’s financial situation, costing him hundreds each month.
The betting isn’t limited to apps, however. Teens come into contact with bookies through older siblings, internet groups, or friends. Bookies are people who place bets through true sports books. Betting more money than they have, leads teens to being in debt to their bookie.
“A few months ago, I was referred by a friend to a bookie,” John said. “[The bookie] was running a deal where new accounts got 100 dollars in risk free bets. I swore that after I used my free money I’d be done, but I wasn’t. In about a week I owed this guy 500 dollars, that’s when I decided to quit for good.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, a world renown medical center, teen boys are more likely to develop gambling issues because their prefrontal cortexes, the part of your brain that controls risk taking, is not fully developed. This can lead to teen boys taking unnecessary risks such as gambling more than they can afford. Dr. Craig Carinton specializes in rehabbing former gambling addicts for Gamblers Anonymous, and he says starting at a young age increases the risk of developing an addiction.
“Like any addiction, a gambling addiction can completely take over your life,” Dr. Carinton said. “I’ve had patients that gamble before even getting out of bed, gamble while driving, even lose their jobs because of gambling.”
Another reason that teens are at a high risk of developing an addiction is because early introductions to the idea of gambling through media and games. It is becoming increasingly common for streamers with mainly teen audiences to promote and be sponsored by gambling sites such as Stake and Prize Picks.
Video games that involve wagering in-game currency for “rare” items are forms of gambling that children are often exposed to.Television ads during sporting events also attempt to persuade young viewers to take an interest in gambling.
“I’ve had a major increase in cases with young adult men over the last couple years,” Dr. Carinton said. “In today’s social climate it’s not surprising. Next time you’re watching a game, just pay attention to the amount of ads that show up promoting gambling. It’s completely taken over media.”
Gambling can cause a multitude of developmental issues for teens. Common issues that develop due to compulsive gambling are depression and anxiety. Gambling can also cause insomnia. Many who are addicted to gambling struggle falling asleep as their mind is trained to need the constant stimulation and dopamine rush that gambling brings.
To prevent side effects such as the ones stated above, it’s important to recognize signs of a gambling addiction early on. Some signs that someone may have a gambling addiction are the following: planning activities around gambling, chasing losses, not being able to quit despite trying, and lying to others about how much you truly gamble.
“There is always a way out,” Dr. Carinton said. “The first step to overcoming addiction is admitting you have a problem. Talk to someone close to you, try to do activities that take your mind off gambling you can’t gamble if you don’t have time to.”
*real name withheld at interviewee’s request
