Millions of parents have noted the meteoric rise of gambling and subsequent crisis that is ripping American households apart. An equal number seek insight for how to keep their kids from becoming young gamblers who may go on to join the 2% of the U.S. population who struggle with problem gambling. While discussing online casino and sports betting advertising with them is critical (view tips), it’s important to be mindful of less obvious ways that one’s own family circle may be contributing to early exposure. Please keep reading.
5 Not-so-Obvious Ways Young Children Are Exposed to Gambling for Parents to be Mindful of (and prevent)
1. Bingo with Grandma?
How can anything that sweet ol’ grandmothers do with their golden girls in church basements to raise funds for rectory renovations put their progeny at risk? This perception that bingo is an innocuous activity is to credit for early onset gambling behavior among millions of young Americans. Exposure to the activity presents a very real threat, with bingo addition statistics indicating that 13% of problem gamblers report bingo as their primary vice, and that up to 20% of high school students play bingo. And if you, as a parent, assume that your kids will think bingo is uncool, take note that the average bingo player in 2025 is between the age of 18-35.
While they may not accompany elders to the bingo hall like Gen-Xers did in their adolescent years, they do snuggle-up next to grandparents (and parents) who play bingo on their smartphones and tablets from the comforts of the living room sofa. Bingo games are currently among the most popular on social/sweepstakes casino platforms, which are associated with gambling harms like any other online casino app. In a recent industry press release, PocketGamerBiz reported that bingo was one the fastest-growing subgenres in terms of downloads, seeing an increase of 36% to 22 million downloads for the reported annum.
Parents, grandparents, and other adults in the household are encouraged to be more mindful of who is watching them toil away on their digital devices. Remember, kids adopt behavior through observational learning.
2. Scratch Tickets in Birthday Cards and Stockings
“Playing the lottery was found to be the most popular gambling activity with youth reporting playing all forms of lottery tickets including draws, scratch tickets, and sports lottery tickets. Youth reported beginning to play the lottery at age 12, with scratch ticket participation being amongst the most highly reported type of lottery activity with the youngest age of onset.” (National Library of Medicine)
Lottery scratch cards are also seen as being relatively benign, but as we have discussed on more than one occasion, they too are a vessel for early exposure to gambling. Armed with this information, parents must ensure that tickets have no place within the birthday cards and Christmas stockings of their children. We know it’s fun for them to do, but we also advise against letting them scratch the silver ink off your own tickets because that in itself activates the same pleasure centers in the brain as other compulsive behaviors.
3. Game Night with the Neighbors
We referenced the concept of observational learning in the bingo section above, and it applies to household game nights with the neighbors and other invitees. Whether it’s baccarat, Texas hold’em, or any other card game for money, let households without kids play host when concerned about setting a table for young gamblers to grow.
4. Family Vacations to Gambling Destinations
The city of Las Vegas has invested millions in efforts to market itself as a family destination, with a focus on family-friendly attractions and activities found throughout the area. An earlier 1990s campaign to make the Strip family-friendly failed, but more recently, the addition of professional sports teams like the Las Vegas Golden Knights (NHL) and the Las Vegas Aces (WNBA) along with youth-centric constructs and concerts have proven successful. Atlantic City, Niagara Falls, Reno, and other American locales with a high densification of casinos are also actively promoting themselves as family-friendly destinations. Of course, it’s not hard to draw a direct line between family vacations to these places and early exposure to gambling. If concerned about environments that may create young gamblers, stick to Disneyland, folks.
5. Video Games Designed with Gambling Features
While video games can be a healthy part of family life, there are some games for parents to be mindful of when it comes to early exposure to gambling. Video games that feature gambling themes include the following (view links to learn more about each):
- Apex Legends, FIFA, Mario Kart Tour, Overwatch, Star Wars Battlefront 2, and Roblox all feature loot boxes.
- Counter Strike : Global Offensive (CSGO) is directly associated with skins gambling.
- Grand Theft Auto (GTA) features casino environments.
Games like CSGO and GTA are not appropriate for children for a variety of reasons and are therefore easy enough for parents to ensure abstinence from. However, we understand that it may seem unfair or unreasonable to request that kids abstain from other games (i.e. Mario Kart Tour) and platforms (i.e. Roblox). Abstinence is not necessarily required to mitigate the risk of early onset gambling behavior. Instead, households can follow our expert guide for How to Successfully Include Video Games in Family Life (view here).
Other Articles You May be Interested In:
- America’s Teenage Gambling Problem
- Youth Gambling Prevention Plan for Your Home
- Adolescent Gambling in Elementary Schools
If early onset gambling behavior is already evident in your household, you are encouraged to reach out to Kindbridge to schedule a virtual family counseling session. Connect to a care coordinator by phone, email, or booking form.
Concerned About Young Gamblers in Your Household?
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