NCPG/Harris Poll: 64% of Parents Fear Kids Will Gamble Underage, Only 51% Have Talked to Them About It

Parents are worried. Fewer are doing anything about it.

A national survey conducted by The Harris Poll for the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), released Oct. 21, found that 64% of parents with children under 18 are concerned about their kids taking part in gambling before they reach legal age. NCPG defined gambling broadly: sports betting, prediction markets, lottery play and fantasy sports apps.

Only 51% of parents of children ages 6 to 17 say they have already talked with their kids about the risks.

What parents say they will do

Of the parents who have not had the conversation, 40% say they plan to. Another 9% say they do not.

NCPG says concern runs especially high among fathers. The group is pushing what it calls "The Gambling Talk," a conversation it believes belongs alongside talks about drugs and alcohol, sex and online safety.

Parents also say they want help. Nine in ten (90%) named at least one resource that would make the talk easier:

• Information on the signs of problem gambling, such as chasing losses, hiding the behavior or damaged relationships: 50%
• Information about the risks of youth gambling: 49%
• Guidance on when to start: 44%
• Tips and examples of how to talk to children: 39%
• Information on where to get help: 34%

"Parents are concerned about their children's exposure to gambling, which makes sense as sports betting and prediction markets become more accessible and visible," said Derek Longmeier, NCPG's board president. He said the group is expanding access to information and tools to help families recognize the risks of underage gambling.

NCPG is an advocacy organization that commissioned the poll, and the resources it is promoting are its own.

The brain science behind the push

NCPG points to the National Institute of Mental Health for its central biological claim. The prefrontal cortex, which handles planning and decision-making, is among the last brain regions to mature and does not finish developing until the mid-to-late 20s.

That is the reasoning behind age limits on alcohol and tobacco. NCPG argues gambling deserves the same caution for kids.

The wider argument about young men and betting

A Daily Wire opinion column argues that online gambling is becoming a health problem for young men. The column cites several figures without naming the underlying research, so they are best read as the author's claims.

It says the global sports betting market is worth more than $120 billion and that prediction markets are on track to reach $1 trillion in volume by 2030. It says one in five Americans views sports betting as a form of investing, rising to two in five among Gen Z, which it says accounts for roughly half of online betting activity.

The column also cites a study published earlier this year that, it says, found 36% of boys ages 11 to 17 took part in gambling or gambling-related activities in the past year. It claims emergency department visits among boys and young men who bet on sports have risen. The author does not identify the study or the data behind that claim.

The column also cites a Los Angeles Times opinion piece that compared celebrities promoting online gambling sites to past spokespeople for cigarette companies.

The author's central point is that online betting is available at all hours, on a phone, with few restrictions, which makes a casual habit easier to hide and harder to stop. The column notes that some children gamble using a relative's credit card or Social Security number without that relative knowing.

The column cites the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for the markers of a gambling disorder: preoccupation with gambling, repeated failed attempts to cut back, lying to conceal it, and gambling to recoup losses.

The parent question

The poll lands on a policy question that does not require a new law: who is responsible for a minor's exposure to betting apps. NCPG's answer is parents, with better information.

It is a fair match for the data. Half of parents have not had the talk, and most of the parents who have not say they intend to. What remains unanswered is how many of the 40% who say they plan to will follow through, and whether NCPG's expanded resources reach them. The group has not published a timeline for the new tools.

The 9% who say they will not have the conversation are the smallest group in the poll. They are also the ones no information campaign is currently built to reach.