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How Innocent Games Can Turn Into Harmful Gambling

Published: May 26, 2025

For a young person, there are few things as fun as playing a game. But what many may not know is that some seemingly innocent games and activities, like a bet between family members or a card game, can lead to youth gambling and a potential gambling disorder when youth become adults. 

In addition to being a role model for children, knowing what you are exposing them to is important. Young people are particularly at risk of developing disorders related to impulse control and decision-making because their brains are still growing and developing. Exposing them to gambling can be harmful to their development, especially if it happens when they are younger.

Indeed, the age at which children are exposed to gambling is often younger than you might expect. In Ohio, 41 percent of eighth graders say they have spent real money to buy a mystery box. And in New Jersey, where the College of New Jersey and the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey recently completed a study of youth gambling, about 75 percent of adults said they were exposed to gambling between the ages of six and 16. A third said they were exposed before age 11. 

How were these children exposed to gambling? According to the same study, 85 percent of surveyed adults said they were exposed to gambling as children through family betting traditions like playing cards, drafting fantasy teams, and more. With sports betting and other forms of gambling increasingly prevalent in society, more children are being exposed to them at home, even when parents don’t necessarily intend to do so. 

To help prevent this exposure to gambling, there are certain steps that parents and loved ones can take. 

  • Avoid playing gambling games or betting with children: Certain games are just not appropriate for kids, including the common casino games like blackjack or poker and all types of sports betting – even just between family members. By making sure not to expose kids to these games, you can help Ohio prevent youth gambling in our state. 
  • When you play, know whether random chance is in the game: Many innocent games use randomness to help decide the outcome of the game, like a dice roll or a random card draw. By understanding when an outcome is going to be decided randomly, you will be equipped to start the conversation if a youth has questions about random chance, gambling, and what is appropriate for their age.
  • Access resources to start the conversation: The issue of youth gambling is changing rapidly. To learn more and get in the know, read about it on our issue page

And if you’d like to stay engaged in how to prevent youth gambling, Change the Game Ohio can help. In addition to following us on social media and subscribing to the Pause Before You Play newsletter, Change the Game Ohio offers resources for parents, educators, and prevention professionals

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