Minors and Online Gambling: Prevalence and Related Variables

Substantial access to the Internet by minors has brought about consequences that are not always positive. The increase of online gambling or betting is one of those. Although in most cases online gambling by minors does not result in a disorder, it does imply a higher probability of developing a gambling disorder in adulthood, and it can cause economic, family, school and social problems. The aim of this study, carried out in the Galician region of Spain with a sample of 3772 students aged between 12 and 17 years, was to estimate the prevalence of online gambling in minors; to characterize the profile of online gamblers; to explore the differences in Internet and smartphone usage habits, online risky practices, problematic Internet use and parental involvement between online gamblers and non-online gamblers; and to analyse the relation between online gambling and academic performance. The results revealed that 6.5% of Galician adolescents are online gamblers, a figure that has more than tripled over seven years. 9 out of 10 online gamblers are male, and their mean age is 15. Online gamblers had significantly higher rates of problematic Internet use, active sexting, cyberbullying, or contacting strangers through the Internet. Furthermore, online gamblers had higher scores on impulsiveness, lower scores on assertiveness, and were lacking parental control. These data show that online gambling is not an isolated problem, so prevention should be understood in a comprehensive manner.