In its latest research into the gambling journey and the gambling behaviour of young people and adults between the ages of 16 and 30, the UKGC (United Kingdom Gambling Commission) has provided a deeper insight into how young people start gambling and the role of their family and friends in that journey.
The study, which was commissioned by the UKGC by 2CV on a sample of 962 respondents, used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, which allowed the regulator to explore the views of this particular population group in their own words and reflect their own voice.
The research focused on the impact of exposure to online gambling in childhood, on the role of friends and family in gambling activities and finally on changing attitudes towards gambling in adulthood.
Involvement in gambling in childhood
When it comes to early exposure to gambling, the researchers found that childhood involvement in gambling or gambling-like activities was primarily passive, i.e. being involved or present when other people were gambling, rather than being classified as proactive gambling by minors.
As present or involved in gambling activities, respondents cited picking lottery numbers, scratching scratch cards, or picking out a horse for a family member to bet on. The majority of those surveyed said that their upbringing had contributed to them viewing gambling as "a fun treat," but felt that they were not actively encouraged to gamble by adults.
However, exposure to both the positive and negative extremes of gambling, such as witnessing big wins or big losses, or facing extremely positive or negative attitudes about gambling, has led many young people to show interest in gambling later in life. In some cases, unfortunately, this type of exposure has led to riskier or more harmful gambling behavior.
For example, 32% of moderate risk/problem gamblers confirmed that they were encouraged by their parents or family to gamble as soon as they reached the age of majority, compared to 9% of those in the group of non/low-risk gamblers.
Among those who believe their parents or guardians gambled more than most people, 32% of moderate-risk/problem gamblers and only 8% of respondents were in the non-/low-risk category.
The role of friends and family
Researchers found that friends and family played a significant role in shaping gambling behavior, while advertising and marketing played a less significant role in influencing the tendency to gamble. Advertising was often cited as an incentive or push to play and less often as a reason to gamble.
The majority of 16 - to 25-year-olds said they did at least half of their gambling attempts with friends; conversely, the study also found that problem gambling is more often associated with gambling on their own among all adults.
Social gambling can create peer pressure and skew people's attitudes about what is considered "normal" gambling behavior, with some young people saying they feel encouraged by friends to spend more on gambling.
Changing views on gambling comes with age
According to the result, young people are most vulnerable when they leave home and become independent from their parents.
Having a job and financial independence gebnzden at the same time as obtaining full legal access to gambling and make gambling on their bNZDt more accessible and financially feasible. By the age of 20-21, the risk of falling prey to gambling appears to be greatest, while steps are least likely to be taken to gamble safely.
However, as people get older, the research shows that their gambling behavior changes and varies according to their personal experiences and their peers ' experiences in terms of profit and loss, coupled with changes in lifestyle and zodiac vocabulary.
Elwin Terry
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