Gambling among the Australian teenagers

Harry Mason

Gambling among the Australian teenagers

There has been a study published that focused on Australian Teenagers. The Growing Up In Australia Longitudinal Study of Australian Children has conducted the study with the results showing that gambling is the most popular and spread activity for sixteen-seventeen-year-olds.  Especially talking about betting with buddies in the circle of relatives, that has become one of the most popular things to do. However, some young adults said having a bet on sports and races which have strict age regulations requiring participants to be 18 years or over.

Gambling As The Activity 

Anne Hollonds, who is the Australian Institute of Family Studies Director, said that while in general some of the 16-17 year-olds did not gamble, a good-sized variety – one in 5 boys and one in eight girls –are observed to be spending money at least once in the one year period of time with the intention to win the bet put on the races or sports. 

“The most common form of playing for these teenagers became personal betting with friends and family without criminal age restrictions, such as playing cards or mah-jong,” she stated. This can be considered as the very common activity among teenagers and is one of the ways to socialize with their mates and peers. 

“However, approximately 5 % of all listed sixteen-seventeen year-olds stated and admitted betting on sports video games as well as horse and dog races that have strict age regulations.  And without desirable proof of age is required for access into gaming venues, approximately 2 % sixteen-seventeen year-olds that is on average 9000 young adults reported having spent their pocket money on poker machines, different casino table games as well as Keno.”

The Studies On The Table 

Institute researcher Dr. Rebecca Jenkinson stated the look at diagnosed more than a few factors influencing teenagers’ gambling behaviors inclusive of character differences, the family surroundings and the behavior of friends.

“You can all take a look at determined that young adults were much more likely to gamble in the event that they or their buddies engaged in risky behaviors such as taking in alcohol or smoking cigarettes. On the opposite hand, they were less likely to gamble if their pals had a higher education by means of academic achievement and had been inquisitive about doing well at college,” she stated.

“Boys who had both been the sufferer or offender of bullying at faculty were also much more likely to take part in gambling activities, especially sports betting. However, this association changed not to be found to be extensive for women.”

Dr. Jenkinson said some variations had been also observed in younger people’s gambling behavior depending on their parents’ gambling behavior or the attitude towards the subject at all.

“In families where none of the members were determined reported having gambled within the preceding 12-months period, 11% of teenagers had engaged in some sort of gambling activity compared to 17 % of teenagers in families where one or each mother and father had gambled,” was also stated in the report made by Dr. Jenkinson.

“It is definitely true that the psychology of girls and boys in quite different from each other. With the girls’ case, they were more involved in gambling like-video game, if any of the parents were observed to be doing the same. It can be basically said that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Despite the tendency was noticed in girls there was not anything similar observed with the boys.”

This has further developed theory from the side of Dr. Jankinson. She has stated that playing video games that have the structure and the concept very much like the real gambling games, can be a potential trigger for further real money related gambling activities in the future. 

The study has found out that the number of 16-17 year-olds who have to spend their real money on gambling activity during the past 12 month period was relatively high, with those teenagers who have also been playing online video games during that exact period of time. While all of this can be coincidence or people who love to play, generally love all ways of playing, the statistics show what they show. 

This might mean nothing and can be simple interest. It is also well known that we have an extremely huge interest in something that is forbidden. Teenagers have that feeling doubled. But it might also be indicating that playing gambling-like games may increase the possibility of some teenagers transitioning their interest in video games in commercial gambling in the future. Though it has not yet been proved to be a fact, it should still be considered as the theory.