Why has underage gambling become such a huge problem that it is today? Parents of the current generation of teenagers grew up knowing gambling was wrong and the consequences that came with it, so why are the adolescents of today different? The answer is simple: the media.

Teenagers today watch an average of four to eight hours of television a day. Media sends a message across to the young people of today that gambling is fun and not harmful.

Underage gambling simply starts out with innocent competition when someone says, “I bet I can…” Usually pertaining to doing something better than the other. There is nothing wrong with this, but it’s the first stepping stone down the road of addiction.

Probably the most popular type of gambling among teenagers is betting on sports competitions. Usually, it starts off with teens betting on big games like the SuperBowl, World Series, or NCAA National Championships with their friends at school. Winning bets on these games gives confidence and motivates them to begin betting regularly on sports.

After gambling starts to become a problem among teenagers, they start to gamble on things other than sports, such as card, dice and board games, games of skill (pool, chess, etc.), and lottery or raffle tickets.

Internet gambling has begun to grow among teenagers as well. Fantasy sports, online poker, online casinos, and online bingo are among some of the most popular. It allows you to gamble at anytime; you don’t have to wait around to gamble with someone. Internet also allows you to use debit/credit cards, which is much easier accessed than cash.

Once gambling becomes a problem for teens, it’s hard to control or stop. Most who gamble enjoy it as a game, but sometimes people get so caught up in it, it becomes an addiction. Gambling can be very attractive, especially to those who need money. It may make them feel important, raise their self-esteem, or help them escape problems.

There are many signs that may show a teenager is having a gambling problem. If they are borrowing money on a regular basis from family or friends; stealing money; gambling with money that’s supposed to be used for lunch or gas; begin skipping classes or neglecting homework; mood swings that shift from high when they’re winning to low when they’re losing; gambling to escape problems; loss of their job, education, career opportunity, or a close relationship with someone; gambling with a high amount of money; after losing, returning another day to get even; begin committing other illegal acts; and carrying large amounts of money or own nice possessions.

Gambling has become a problem among teenagers today. Money is a drug to those who have the addiction towards gambling. People with this addiction are not even able to carry their own money around without wasting it on gambling. If a drug addict is walking around with cocaine in their pocket, they’re most likely bound to smoke it.

Those who think underage gambling isn’t much of a big deal should think again. It’s as bad as alcohol and drug abuse, and all forms of gambling carry a risk of developing more problems in the future.