Gambling disorder in adolescents: prevalence, new developments, and treatment challenges

Figures & data

Table 1 Adolescent gambling studies with prevalence data since 2014

Author and date	Sample	Prevalence
Wong and So (2014)^Citation69	1,004 students in Hong Kong, aged 12–19 years	5.7% and 22.9% of the Internet gamblers could be classified as at-risk gamblers and pathological gamblers; online gamblers are 1.5 and 3.2 times more likely to develop pathological and at-risk gambling
Lee et al (2014)^Citation70	N = 25,456 high-school students, US	One-third (n = 8,318) reported lifetime gambling, and 31% of the gamblers experienced gambling problems. Being male and alcohol, marijuana, and non-medical prescription drug use were associated with twice the odds of gambling
Castren et al (2015)^Citation71	N = 988 Finnish adolescents, aged 12–15 years	51.6% of the respondents had gambled and 7.9% were identified as at-risk/problem gamblers
Floros et al (2015)^Citation72	2,684 Greek students aged 12 and 15 years	2.5% of the total student sample and 13.8% of those who had had gambling experience demonstrated problem gambling. Gamblers presented with lower school achievement and related expectations while scoring consistently higher on measures of Internet addiction, parental bonding, and psychopathology
Hanss et al (2015)^Citation73	N = 2,059 Norwegian 17-year olds	1.5% were moderate risk gamblers and 0.2% had experienced lifetime gambling problems (problem gambling). Incidence during the month was 15.7% for low risk, 5.8% for moderate risk, and 0.9% for problem gambling
Räsänen et al (2015)^Citation74	N = 1,01,167 Finnish students aged 14–16 years	The risk of gambling on 1–2 days a week was eight times as high among boys as among girls and 1.6 times as high among ninth graders as among eighth graders. Even infrequent gambling was associated with different problem behaviors
Fröberg et al (2015)^Citation75	N = 4,358 Swedes aged 16–24 years	Incidence proportion of a first episode of problem gambling among 16–24-year-olds was 2.26%, three times lower among females
Cook et al (2015)^Citation51	N = 4,851 Canadians, grades 7–12	2.8% of the students surveyed categorized as problem gamblers. The odds of problem gamblers reporting mental distress, a suicide attempt, and delinquent behaviors were higher compared to other students
Canale et al (2016)^Citation76	N = 14,778 Italian high-school students	Problem gambling prevalence rate was 4.0% while the rate among online gamblers was five times higher at 21.9%; less than 10% of non-online gamblers were classified as at-risk gamblers, whereas more than 20% of online gamblers were classified as at-risk gamblers
Elton-Marshall et al (2016)^Citation77	10,035 Canadian students, grades 9–12	41.6% (35.9% of females and 47.4% of males) had gambled offline or online and 9.4% had gambled online in the past 3 months (3.7% of females and 15.3% of males). Online gamblers were more likely than offline gamblers to engage in multiple forms of gambling, and they scored proportionally more frequently “high” or “low to moderate” in problem gambling severity
Rossen et al (2016)^Citation78	N = 8,500 New Zealanders, secondary school students	24.2% of students had gambled in the last year, and 4.8% had two or more indicators of unhealthy gambling. Unhealthy gambling was associated with more accepting attitudes toward gambling, gambling via gambling machines/casinos/track betting, being worried about and/or trying to cut down on gambling and having attempted suicide
Anagnostopoulos et al (2017)^Citation79	2,141 Greek high-school students, representative sample from the capital of Athens	One-year prevalence of high-severity problem gambling was found to be 5.6%. Male gender, parental engagement with gambling activities, living without the parents, low grades at school, foreign nationality, and the referent absence of availability of food in the household increased the risk of problem gambling
Gonzalez-Roz et al (2017)^Citation80	1,313 Spanish adolescents, aged 14–18 years	At-risk and problem gambling was 4% and 1.2%, respectively. Having a relative with gambling problems predicted at-risk gambling. Both living with only one parent, or not living with parents at all, and playing on electronic gambling machines in the last year were associated with problem gambling
Huic et al (2017)^Citation81	1,372 Croatian high-school girls	7.4% were considered regular gamblers, and out of those who gambled at least once in their lifetime (n = 862), 11.2% already experienced mild adverse consequences because of their gambling (at-risk gamblers), with 3.2% experiencing serious consequences (problem gamblers)

WongILKSoEMTInternet gambling among high school students in Hong KongJ Gambl Stud201430356557624190276

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LeeGPMartinsSSPasETBradshawCPExamining potential school contextual influences on gambling among high school youthAm J Addict201423551051725065420

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CastrénSGraingerMLahtiTAlhoHSalonenAHAt-risk and problem gambling among adolescents: a convenience sample of first-year junior high school students in FinlandSubst Abuse Treat Prev Policy2015101925879923

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FlorosGParadisiotiAHadjimarcouMMappourasDGKarkaniotiOSiomosKAdolescent online gambling in Cyprus: associated school performance and psychopathologyJ Gambl Stud201531236738424293015

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HanssDMentzoniRABlaszczynskiAMoldeHTorsheimTPallesenSPrevalence and correlates of problem gambling in a representative sample of Norwegian 17-year-oldsJ Gambl Stud201531365967824619792

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RäsänenTLintonenTKonuAGambling and problem behavior among 14-to 16-year-old boys and girls in FinlandJ Gambl Issues201531123

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FröbergFRosendahlIKAbbottMRomildUTengströmAHallqvistJThe incidence of problem gambling in a representative cohort of Swedish female and male 16–24 year-olds by socio-demographic characteristics, in comparison with 25–44 year-oldsJ Gambl Stud201531362164124590609

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CookSTurnerNEBallonBProblem gambling among Ontario students: associations with substance abuse, mental health problems, suicide attempts, and delinquent behavioursJ Gambl Stud20153141121113424981225

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CanaleNGriffithsMDVienoASicilianoVMolinaroSImpact of Internet gambling on problem gambling among adolescents in Italy: findings from a large-scale nationally representative surveyComput Human Behav20165799106

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Elton-MarshallTLeatherdaleSTTurnerNEAn examination of internet and land-based gambling among adolescents in three Canadian provinces: results from the youth gambling survey (YGS)BMC Public Health201616127726987439

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RossenFVClarkTDennySJUnhealthy gambling amongst New Zealand secondary school students: an exploration of risk and protective factorsInt J Ment Health Addict20161419511026798329

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AnagnostopoulosDCLazaratouHPaleologouMPAdolescent gambling in greater Athens area: a cross-sectional studySoc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol201752111345135128894886

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González-RozAFernández-HermidaJRWeidbergSMartínez-LoredoVSecades-VillaRPrevalence of problem gambling among adolescents: a comparison across modes of access, gambling activities, and levels of severityJ Gambl Stud201733237138227785589

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HuicAHundricDDKranzelicVRicijasNProblem gambling among adolescent girls in Croatia—the role of different psychosocial predictorsFront Psychol2017879228579968

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