Being an adult and that too a responsible one, you may struggle to see anything wrong with gambling. After all, you’ve been engaging in the activity for years and are doing just fine. The circumstances may change drastically when you consider teenagers and gambling. With several surveys done in different parts of the world revealing an alarmingly high percentage of teens that gamble, it’s imperative that the issue is given just as much importance as other problems prevalent among kids such as drug abuse, underage drinking, etc.

The implications of gambling for teens

You need to know how to stop gambling among young people for several reasons.

Being young and somewhat immature, the strong impulse to wager money on events with uncertain outcomes and the desire to feel the adrenaline rush may drive them to take unnecessary risks and consequently suffer the consequences. In some instances, this impulse and desire becomes uncontrollable, thus becoming an addiction and starting to make a severe impact on their lives. As gambling continues to occupy their mind, they may gradually drift away from their friends who don’t gamble and eventually develop an anti-social behavior. Episodes of depression and anxiety may become frequent, and take a toll on both their relationships and performance at school. Several studies have revealed that teens who gamble may also develop the habit of smoking, drug abuse, and binge drinking, resulting from either the influence of the places they visit to place their bets, or to cope with the depression and anxiety.

Watch out for the smoke

The implications of gambling at a young age can be huge, which makes it imperative for you to make an early intervention and pull your teen off this road. Fortunately, there are a number of signs that’d help you detect the smoke early to make a timely intervention.

If you notice a sudden fluctuation in the amount of money that your child has, recognize it as a red flag. Gambling may have already become a problem for your teen if you notice a change in their sleep pattern and find them feeling tired without any physical exertion. Deterioration in performance at school, lack of interest in social activities and events, withdrawal from friends, and frequent mood swings may also be good indications of your child’s gambling problem.

A proactive approach to curb the problem

Despite the glamorization of gambling in films and games, along with the thrill that the activity ostensibly offers, you can still shield your teens from it until they are mature enough to make the right and responsible decisions. In order to do that, make sure you remain on your toes at all times to notice signs of trouble so that you can react promptly. Furthermore, sit down with your kids and have a talk to them about gambling, discussing its implications and why they should abstain from it. Set an example for them by refraining from gambling in their presence. In many cases, children are attracted to gambling due to the alluring ads that they come across on the internet. With such ads being prevalent and over 3,000 gambling websites offering an easy access to the activity, it’s important that you keep an eye on your kids’ computer and online activities.

Don’t expect an easy win when trying to pull teens away from gambling. The root of the problem lies in the fact that they may not see it as a problem. Focus on changing this perception while being patient with them.