Out of all the concerns parents have about kids being online, gambling is often overlooked. We try our best to prevent our children from seeing inappropriate content, protect them from dangerous people, and keep their screen time in check. But underage gambling is a growing issue fueled by the speed and ease of apps and platforms, and ethically bogus targeted ads – among other things.
A 2026 report from Common Sense Media revealed that 36% boys aged 11 to 17 reported gambling in the past year – and 34% of those boys participated in sports-related gambling. Moreover, boys who bet on sports were among the most habitual gamblers, with 60% of boys who participated in sports gambling doing so once a month or more.
The rise in teen gambling is another digital risk primarily affecting teen boys. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the rise of sports betting among boys and share practical ways you can start the conversation with your teen.
What might sports gambling look like for boys?
Sports-related betting can be both online and offline, and comes in different forms, including:
- Match outcome bets. Predicting which team or player will win before the event starts. Can include draws, point spreads, or point totals.
- In-game or live betting. Placing bets while the event is happening. For example, betting on who will score next or the outcome of the next quarter.
- Proposition or “prop” bets. Wagers on specific events within a game. For example, the number of goals scored by a player, the first team to score, or total fouls.
- Parlays or accumulators. Combine multiple individual bets into one wager. All selections must win for the bettor to receive a payout.
- Season or tournament-length bets. Wagers placed on outcomes that are determined over the course of an entire sporting season or multi-week tournament, rather than a single game. Popular examples include March Madness brackets and fantasy leagues.
- esports betting. Wagering on competitive video game tournaments.
According to the report, season/tournament-length wagers with friends or family were the most common form of sports-related betting among adolescent boys who gamble.
What’s encouraging boys to gamble on sports?
The rise in sports gambling among adolescent boys can likely be blamed on a combination of the following:
Peer influence (including family)
Possibly the strongest indicator of whether or not a boy gambles is the gambling activity of those closest to him. A huge 84% of boys whose friends mostly or all gamble report gambling themselves, compared with just 17% of those with no gambling friends.
And it’s not just friends. Over half (54%) of boys who had gambled in the past year reported gambling with family members – with season/tournament-length contests being a favorite.
“It just showed up on my feed!”
Nearly half (45%) of boys who gamble report viewing gambling videos or streams online. Rather than seeking it out, most exposure is thanks to algorithms – of the boys who reported seeing gambling content online, 59% said it “just started showing up” in their feed, compared with 14% who actively searched for it.
Gambling apps and platforms are created to be frictionless and make betting on sports as easy as possible. After clicking on the content – and entering a fake date of birth – a minor could be gambling in minutes.
Advertising and promotions
If you watch sports events, you’d be hard-pressed to find one without gambling ads embedded throughout the broadcast. The majority of boys (57%) said they saw gambling ads on live or streaming TV during sports events, making it the third most likely place a kid will come across gambling ads (behind YouTube, 61%, and social media, 60%).
Gambling platforms are commonly promoted by YouTubers, game streamers, and athletes – many of these influencers have large followings among young boys. “Free bets” and sign-up bonuses lower the psychological barrier to entry, making gambling sound like a low-risk shortcut to riches.
Gambling mechanics in games
Perhaps the most insidious way that young boys can be conditioned to gamble, gambling mechanics – such as loot boxes and gacha systems – are included in many popular video games. Whether kids are using real money or not, these gambling mechanics can introduce kids to chance-based thinking and risk-taking at a much-too-young age.
Loot boxes are virtual items in video games that players can purchase or earn through gameplay, offering randomized rewards like character skins, weapons, or other in-game bonuses. Loot boxes and similar randomized reward systems appear in many popular games, including Fortnite, Clash Royale, and Brawl Stars.
The impact of sports gambling on teen boys
As their brains are still developing, adolescent gamblers can be particularly susceptible to the following negative effects associated with sports gambling:
Addiction and problem gambling
Many gambling disorders begin in adolescence. Research has shown that 2% to 7% of young people may develop a gambling disorder as opposed to around 1% of adults. Some attribute this to young brains being more sensitive to dopamine, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter released during gambling wins. This heightened response can make sports gambling even more addictive for teen boys.
Conflict with friends and family
A report by the UK Gambling Commission revealed that almost 1 in 10 minors had lied about their gambling habits to their family or friends, and 1 in 12 admitted their gambling has led to arguments with those close to them.
Gamblers often hide or downplay their habit – especially when talking about their expenditure and losses – creating conflict and distrust with those around them. Using someone else’s payment card without permission is also a major cause of conflict in families -especially among higher loss gamblers. Boys who reported losing $51 or more in the past year were nearly three times more likely to use their parents’ debit or credit cards without permission.
Disinterest in school and other activities
Being preoccupied with sports gambling can lead to missed homework, reduced concentration in school, and a lack of interest in anything that isn’t about winning bets – 1 in 20 underage gamblers admitted that their habits led them to miss school. Gambling activates strong “quick-win” pathways, which can make slower pursuits like school, extracurricular activities, and family time seem less rewarding and boring in comparison.
Serious financial loss
Since developing brains struggle to assess risk versus reward accurately, teenagers are more likely to fall into dangerous gambling patterns and rack up significant losses. In a desperate attempt to recoup losses, a child might even use their parent’s payment card, leading to a nasty surprise when the monthly statement arrives.
Mental wellbeing concerns
Gambling of all kinds, especially when started at a young age, can have serious, long-term mental health consequences, including anxiety, stress, depression, sleep problems, and impulse control issues. Teens who gamble are also more likely to engage in other risky behaviors, such as alcohol and substance use.
Tips for talking to your teen about sports gambling
As adolescents become more independent, a parent can’t (and shouldn’t) be expected to monitor their behavior 24/7. Sports gambling is something a teen boy can do anywhere and at any time, so it’s important you communicate your concerns and set your expectations.
1. Start conversations early
Your son may not be gambling away his allowance, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t being conditioned to associate gambling with fun. As we’ve seen with loot boxes and similar features, gambling-like mechanics are embedded in games played by kids of all ages, not just teens.
Bring up the topic early, and rather than talk about gambling specifically, frame the conversation around risk, chance, and decision-making. Start with open-ended questions like:
- “Have you ever bought a loot box in a game? What did you get?”
- “If you don’t get what you want, what usually happens next?”
- “How do you decide when to stop?”
Remember to revisit the topic regularly as your child gets older and becomes exposed to other types of gambling.
2. Familiarize yourself with different forms of sports gambling
Sports gambling isn’t just placing a bet on the team you think will win; there are unlimited ways someone can gamble on sports, both online and offline. Being familiar with gambling platforms and the types of bets they offer will help you approach the conversation from a place of understanding.
3. Be mindful of peer influence
If a child sees friends and family members gambling, or gambles with them, they are more likely to start gambling too. If you suspect any family members of gambling in front of your child, consider including them in your conversation.
4. Set clear rules and monitor access
Just over a third of boys report having no specific family rules about gambling
or game-related spending – which shows it can be an overlooked area for parents. Like with screen time and phone usage, establish clear expectations around sports betting, loot boxes, and other gambling-related activities. Discuss what is and isn’t acceptable, and remember to explain the reasons behind these boundaries.
You can include specific rules about gambling in your downloadable digital family agreement.
You may want to monitor or even restrict access to gambling apps on your teen’s phone. Parental control tools, like those offered by Qustodio, allow you to monitor your child’s activity on gambling apps, get alerted when your child opens a new app, and even block an app from being opened.
On the child’s side, the Kids app offers insights on new apps your child downloads and alerts them to any risks – such as gambling – in app insights.
Online gambling, sports gambling in particular, is on the rise among young boys. It’s more accessible – and accepted – than ever, with ads and promotional content on social media and streaming platforms, as well as throughout live sports events. There are even gambling-like features in games aimed at pre-teens and younger.
Your teen may not be showing the signs of a seasoned gambler, but it’s never too early to start a deliberate conversation and set some boundaries around online gambling – in the same way we do with other aspects of the digital world.
