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ONLINE GAMBLING TAKES OVER THE WORLD. Teens all over the world have started getting into online betting. In Argentina at least 80% of teens have bet online at least once.
By: Rafael Tortolero
Multimedia Specialist
In recent years, online casinos have grown massively, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law that prohibited sports gambling in most states in 2018. Before the ruling, only four states allowed sports betting, but that number has increased to 39 states and Washington, D.C.
The pandemic also boosted online casinos. Many people who bet in person found out they could do it from the comfort of their home, and others who had never bet before started as a lockdown hobby.
Online casinos and betting sites have all sorts of ads on TV, social media and public spaces – you’ve probably been served one before a YouTube video, for example. They tend to partner with big celebrities in order to be more appealing to the masses, like Kevin Hart, Lebron James and even Haliey Welch (also known as the Hawk Tuah girl).
Although these sites don’t directly target teens, they don’t have the best age verification systems. Some ask for ID, but there are many apps and sites that don’t require it or have large loopholes.
This is a problem for easily influenced teens. A teen’s prefrontal cortex, part of the brain that plays a crucial role in reward-related processes, decision making and impulse control, is not fully developed. For many countries, it has been tough to keep teens out of online gambling, especially because they don’t have to search for content about it; it finds them through social media.
The popular streaming platform Twitch prohibited users from broadcasting betting content without a special permit. Many creators left the platform and migrated to Kick, which is owned by Ed Craven, who also owns a famous online betting site called Stake.com.
Some of the most popular streamers on this platform, like Aidin Ross and xQc, are usually seen betting. Both of them have admitted that what they do is wrong, and that even though they don’t have high chances of winning, the platforms provide them with funds that allow them to keep playing almost constantly.
This is not only seen with streamers but also public figures. Neymar Junior, a Brazilian soccer player, was seen playing in an online casino while singing happy birthday to his daughter.
Gambling and betting can be addictive, resulting in users spending excessive amounts of time and money on bets and engaging in gambling at inappropriate times. You may have heard that gambling causes a “dopamine hit.” It does trigger the release of dopamine, but unlike exercising or eating – where the neurotransmitter is released after receiving the reward – gambling produces dopamine even without a reward when players visualize themselves winning.
These apps and websites are also designed to hook users. They use complicated algorithms to recognize what time you usually gamble, then spam your phone with empty promotions in order to get you to bet again. If you’re betting on a match or game, apps allow you to change and add bets as the game progresses, which can trigger obsessive behavior more than traditional sports betting, which only allows bets to be placed before a game starts.
Unlike traditional casinos, online casinos also allow you to bet on almost anything – the outcome of any sport (even table tennis), whether or not Taylor Swift will get proposed to or even the outcome of elections. Reports say hundreds of millions of dollars were bet on the 2024 presidential race.
The old phrase “the casino always wins” still applies to online betting. Gambling addicts always lose; not only are there very slim chances of winning, but when they do win, they spend it all back (or they don’t win enough to recoup what they spent in the first place). This forms a cycle that can be difficult to escape, especially for young adults who may be living on their own for the first time without a support system.
Around 10 million people in the U.S. struggle with a gambling addiction, and many are under 25 years old. Gambling addicts attempt suicide 15 times more than the general population. One of the biggest issues with ludopathy – pathological gambling – is debt. The average debt of a gambling addict ranges from $15,000 to $90,000.
The Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) has a program for people struggling with a gambling problem. If you or someone you know is going through a hard time with gambling, you can call 800-994-8448. They even have a very user-friendly live chat option.
Ultimately, addressing this problem requires stronger regulations from our government. For example, some countries, like Italy, don’t directly prohibit online gambling but still regulate online casinos and require them to hold a special license. They’ve also banned gambling advertisements and sponsorships, including games targeted at young people offering cash prizes.
