Children exposed to gambling face problem gambling

"The Gambling Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has found that problem gambling is much more likely amongst people who were exposed to gambling as children. The study, which was conducted by the ESRI's Behavioural Research Unit, found that rates of problem gambling are significantly higher among people who gambled as children, whose parents gambled, or whose parents had positive attitudes towards gambling."

"For people who both gambled as children and had a parent who gambled a lot, they were four times more likely to suffer from problem gambling. In the sample, the majority had engaged in at least some form of gambling when under the age of 18. The most commonly found types included scratch cards, horse or dog betting, slot machines, gambling amongst friends, bingos, and lotteries."

Exposure to gambling during childhood correlates with substantially higher rates of problem gambling in adulthood. Gambling before age 18 almost doubles the probability of adult problem gambling. Having a parent who gambled increases the likelihood by about one third, and parental positive attitudes toward gambling produce a similarly large effect. Individuals who both gambled as children and had a parent who gambled heavily face roughly four times the risk of problem gambling. Common childhood gambling forms include scratch cards, horse or dog betting, slot machines, gambling with friends, bingos, and lotteries. Problem gambling disrupts life, wellbeing, relationships, and finances. The sample comprised anonymous online responses from over 1,600 adults.

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