Teen boys are gambling with worrying frequency and intensity

• A new Common Sense Media study warns that teenage boys are increasingly exposed to gambling, with many engaging in gambling activities before reaching legal age
• Online platforms and advertising play a major role, with around 60% of boys reporting exposure to gambling ads on social media and YouTube
• The research highlights growing risks linked to peer pressure, family influence, and early gambling habits, raising concerns about long-term harm

Teenage boys are increasingly exposed to gambling and gambling-like activities, a new study by Common Sense Media now argues, with teenagers aged 11 and 17 admitting to having gambled in the past year.

Adolescent boys are increasingly exposed to gambling online

About 60% of the targeted question group said that they have seen gambling ads on popular everyday platforms, such as YouTube and social media, once again highlighting that advertising issues in the sector persist despite efforts to the opposite.

Common Sense Media Founder Jim Steyer commented on the results and said that they were food for thought and would worry any parent, anywhere.

"I think the results of this new research are absolutely astounding, and a wake-up call for every parent everywhere. The truth is, one out of three boys in this country is gambling online before they’re old enough to vote," Steyer explained.

The survey screened a sample of 1,000 adolescent boys and was able to draw worrisome conclusions. Online gambling remains the most prevalent form of accessingunderage gambling, the study discovered.

Nearly one in eight boys participates in traditional gambling, such as card games. Peer pressure does have a role as well, as boys whose friends gamble are far more likely to engage in the activity themselves.

Peer pressure and family attitudes matter

Six in 10 boys reported seeing gambling ads on YouTube and social media, as mentioned, and more than one in four boys who gamble report stress or/and/or conflict.

A third of boys have also gambled with family members, meaning there is some form of normalization of the activity.

"Through the games they play, the social media platforms they use every day, and their friends, gambling has become a fact of many boys' day-to-day lives—and often in ways parents may not recognize," Steyer added.

The survey has estimated that boys who gamble in their teens spend about $54 on the activity annually, but there is a divide between higher-loss and lower-loss gamblers.

Those in the higher-loss group may actually resort to using their parents' credit cards and turn to gambling more frequently, a classic precursor to gambling-related harm.

Apart from traditional gambling and gambling with friends, adolescent boys were found to be betting on sports, 1 in 8.

"Without safeguards and support, many boys may be forming risky relationships with gambling before they fully understand the consequences. All of us—parents, educators, industry, and policymakers—must treat this issue with the urgency it demands," Steyer concluded.

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