Risk factors in adolescents

Gambling is a socially accepted form of entertainment in most countries. Worldwide, studies show that 46.2 percent of adults and 17.9 percent of adolescents have gambled at least once in the past year.

Rapid digitalization has driven the growth of the gaming industry, especially among young people. The bad news for them is that, as experts point out, gambling poses a growing threat to public health.

The harms associated with gambling are broad and affect people's health and well-being , their finances , and their family and social relationships . It's not just a hobby, but a potentially addictive and unhealthy behavior.

Gambling disorder (addictional gambling) is recognized in the major classifications of mental disorders. It is characterized by a persistent pattern of gambling behavior, in addition to significant impairment in personal, family, or occupational settings.

Specific groups face a heightened risk of gambling-related harm. These include children and adolescents, who are now routinely exposed to advertising and industry-promoted messages. Furthermore, the line between video games and gambling is blurring, with many video games acting as a gateway into the world of gambling.

From 1955 to 2019, the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) conducted seven waves of surveys among 15- to 16-year-old adolescents in Europe. According to 2019 data, 22 percent of adolescents gambled for money that year, either in person or online. The most common activities were lotteries, sports betting, card or dice games, and slot machines.

In 2024, a research project led by UNIR researchers and funded by the Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs, the results of which have not yet been published, analyzed the transnational factors associated with gambling frequency. Data from more than 56,000 young people from the Espad database were analyzed using machine learning techniques. According to this study, in Spain, higher gambling frequency is primarily associated with alcohol and tobacco use , as well as with weak parental control over adolescents' activities.

Globally, in the 28 countries analyzed, alcohol consumption (and, to a lesser extent, tobacco and other substance use) is related to gaming frequency . In some countries, other related factors were also identified, such as the frequency of video game and social media use.

Theoretical models suggest that factors such as impulsivity, reduced self-control , and altered sensitivity to positive and negative reinforcement are common in people with addictive tendencies.

In addition to the common factors, there are notable differences between countries. For example, only a few countries, such as Spain, show that poor parental supervision is associated with higher gambling frequency.

Gambling among European adolescents is influenced by multiple factors, ranging from substance use to excessive video game use, to a lack of parental supervision in certain contexts.

Culture plays a key role in how gambling behaviors are perceived and experienced. Social approval of gambling by friends or family, perceived social norms, and expectations about the costs and benefits of gambling vary significantly across cultural contexts.

In this sense, it is essential to develop prevention policies adapted to the social and cultural realities of each country to reduce the risks associated with gambling and promote a healthier environment for young people.

Gemma Mestre-Bach, postdoctoral researcher in Medicine and Translational Research at the International University of La Rioja (UNIR); Ernesto Tarragón Cros, professor and researcher at UNIR; Giulia Testa, postdoctoral researcher at UNIR.

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