Research Finds Alarming Level of Early First Exposure to Gambling

On Jun 25, 2024

The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) has noted a marked increase in youth and young adult problem gambling since 2018. In response, the Council undertook a study with a class of graduate students from the College of New Jersey to research the impact of family gambling on adolescents and young adults, with findings revealing widespread early exposure to gambling.

The project surveyed New Jersey residents between 18 and 30 years old to examine how family gambling, including family gambling traditions, influences youth betting behavior and attitudes and to identify how that may be manifested later in life. Family betting traditions were reported by a large majority (85%) and ranged from Lottery scratch-offs to betting on sports to trips to casinos.

The most disturbing finding was the early age of exposure to gambling for a large majority of the respondents: more than three in four (76%) say their introduction to gambling occurred between the ages of 6 and 16, including a third (33%) indicated they were introduced to gambling between 6 and 10.

CCGNJ Executive Director Felicia Grondin called the findings about the high rate of children and teenagers being exposed to gambling “very troubling and reflects New Jersey’s pro gambling culture, which increasingly normalizes betting. Family gambling traditions may seem benign, but they can lead to serious problems later in life. In addition, casino and sports betting advertising glamourizes gambling to appeal to youth and lure individuals to place bets. Research shows that when someone begins to gamble early in life, they are more apt to develop a gambling problem as an adult.”

More than a quarter of respondents (26%) say their family experienced financial hardship as a result of their gambling, and one in five (19%) report family conflict arising from gambling. Over one in five of the respondents say they themself had financial difficulty due to their own betting.

Fathers were the most commonly named family member engaging in gambling (33%), followed by mothers (15%), and then grandmothers (13%).

Six in ten respondents (59%) currently engage in some form of betting, A third (32%) participate in sports betting and three in ten (30%) play the lottery. As for betting frequency, nearly half (48%) gamble at least once a week, while 22% bet three to four times each week.

The survey’s sample size was 167 with respondents ranging in age from 18-30. An Executive Summary of the survey findings is available on the CCGNJ website: Family Influence on Youth Gambling

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