An activity for parents and caring adults of youth ages 10 to 18
This room belongs to a teen. Eight things in it can open a talk about gambling. Choose each one to see what to look for and what to say. One item does not mean there is a problem. Each one is a reason to talk.
0 of 8 found
Start with any item in the room.
A sports betting app or betting site on a phone.
In New York, you must be 21 to bet on sports. Among boys who gambled, about 1 in 3 (34%) took part in sports betting, fantasy sports or other sports contests.
I saw this app on your phone. How do kids your age use it?
Lottery or scratch-off tickets, even ones given as a gift.
You must be 18 to play most lottery games in New York. Even so, 1 in 4 boys (25%) said they have played lottery or scratch-off tickets with family. Childhood exposure to gambling often comes through a lottery product.
Who gave you these? Let's talk about why they are for adults.
A game that sells loot boxes: paid packs with random prizes.
Loot boxes cost real money and the prize is left to chance. In a survey of 1,155 teens ages 16 to 18, those who spent more on loot boxes had more gambling problems. The study does not show which one comes first.
Show me how this game works. What do you get when you pay?
Source: 4
More gift cards than you would expect, or cards with no clear source.
Money for gambling does not always come from a bank card. Among boys who gamble, 18% of ages 14 to 17 and 10% of ages 11 to 13 used gift cards or money gifts.
What are you saving these for? Where did they come from?
Source: 1
Notes or talk with words such as bookies, chips or point spread.
New gambling words can be a sign that a teen is spending time around betting.
I don't know this word. What does point spread mean?
Source: 5
Card or dice games where money or dares are on the line.
A card game is fine on its own. Ask what is at stake. Friends matter: 84% of boys whose friends mostly gamble also gamble, compared with 17% of boys with no friends who gamble.
When you and your friends play, do you play for money?
Source: 1
Cash or new things that a teen's own money cannot explain, or money missing at home.
Boys who lost $51 or more in a year were nearly three times as likely to use a parent's card without asking (21%, compared with 8% of boys who lost less).
Those shoes look new. I'm not upset. How did you pay for them?
Videos or live streams of people spinning wheels, opening packs or placing bets.
Almost 3 in 4 boys (74%) who lost $51 or more in a year watch gambling content. About half (48%) of boys with smaller losses do.
Who do you like to watch? What do they do on their stream?
Source: 1
You now have eight ways to start a talk. Stay calm, ask, and listen. In a national survey, 36% of boys ages 11 to 17 said they gambled in the past year. Source: 1
Call the 24/7 HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369). Source: 6