Early exposure to excessive gambling, an early "big win," and gambling beyond their means may increase the risk of experiencing gambling-related harms among young adults. Studies indicate that young adults whose parents gamble on a regular basis gamble earlier, more frequently, and may develop an addiction to gambling at nearly 2x the rate of those whose parents do not gamble. In the U.S. 72% of college students believe that gambling is at least a minor issue on their campus and over 30% are worried about someone else's gambling.
Gambling is not bad, but young adults need to be informed to lower risk so they do not suffer from gambling-related harms.
Some signs a young adult or student may be experiencing issues from gambling include:
- Frequent participation in gambling activities
- Increased absences from work/school &/or a decline in work/ school performance
- Borrowing money &/ or unexplained need for assistance with personal expenses
- Lack of interest in non-gambling activities &/ or social isolation due to time & focus spent gambling
Prevention & education is the key. Make sure you talk about gambling with younger adults. Their future may depend on it!
