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Rutgers researchers asked teens about activities ranging from raffles and games played for money to sports betting. Among the US teens ages 13 to 17 surveyed, 42.7% reported gambling in the past year, and about 11% of those who gambled were classified as high risk for gambling problems.
Rutgers released the findings after surveying 1,677 people ages 13 to 27 about their gambling habits, related problems and gambling within their families.
Licensed Michigan apps are only part of the picture
Customers must be at least 21 to use Michigan’s licensed online sportsbooks and casinos. Rutgers asked about 21 activities, including bingo, raffles, games of skill, cryptocurrency trading, prediction markets, and sports betting. The survey counted both online and in-person participation.
Games of skill counted only when played for money. A teen who entered a raffle could also be included without ever using a sportsbook or casino app. Rutgers did not report a Michigan-specific rate.
Nearly one in five teens who reported gambling, or 18.9%, said they did so at least weekly. To gauge potential problems, researchers used nine questions about gambling behavior over the previous year. The high-risk category identifies respondents who reported substantial problems; it is not a clinical diagnosis.
Many high-risk teens reported gambling with relatives
Just over half of the teens surveyed, 51.5%, said someone in their family or household gambled. Among teen gamblers in the high-risk group, 75.5% said they had a family member who gambled, and 61.2% reported gambling with a family member themselves.
Across all respondents ages 13 to 27, those who had gambled with a family member were more than four times as likely to be in the high-risk group. The survey cannot show whether gambling with a family member caused those problems.
Rutgers researchers recommended teaching young people about gambling risks starting in middle school, with information for parents and educators as well as students.
Michigan offers free software to block gambling sites
Parents should review the games and apps their children use, including payment options, chat features, and parental controls. They should also ask about bets with friends, which may leave no trace in an app’s purchase history.
Adults who use gambling apps can sign out on shared devices and check whether children can access saved payment methods.
Michigan residents can claim a free Gamban license through the Michigan Gaming Control Board. Gamban blocks licensed and unregulated gambling sites and apps on Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS devices.
A license can cover unlimited household devices for one to five years, but Gamban must be installed on each one. The software cannot prevent bets made in person.
Signs of gambling problems and where to get help
Warning signs include borrowing money to gamble, trying to win back losses, and hiding bets. Falling grades or pulling away from friends may also raise concern, though they do not establish a gambling problem on their own.
Michigan’s Problem Gambling Helpline is available around the clock for people worried about their own gambling or someone close to them. Call 1-800-GAMBLER or use the online chat at 800gambler.org to ask about counseling and treatment resources.
The service is free and confidential. Parents can call about a teen’s gambling even if the teen has not sought help.
