“Gambling can be fun, but there are risks!”
Is age a problem when it come to an online gambling?
Recently it has been discovered that the age of a person determines the likelihood of gambling addiction. For example, it was suggested that if a person is 65 years and older the probability of developing this addiction decreases, whereas the younger the person is the higher the probability of developing a problem.
The prefrontal lobe fully develops approximately by the age of 25 years old, therefore before this age, the brain is not fully developed, and individuals are more prone to make rash decisions. The milestone between the ages 18 and 24 tends to be a critical period when people may act impulsively and not rationally.
Risks of Underaged Gambling
When a young individual engages in online gambling, it needs to be taken into account, that online gambling may have certain risks.
One of the risks that can influence problem gambling among young adults is the influence of peers and society in general. Due to the constant pressure, advertisements of online gambling, the desire to feel accepted.
The desire to earn a lot and quickly also influences the involvement in problematic online gambling. Regardless of the fact, that a lot of young people play because it is fun, some of them see it as a shorter way to grow financially.
One of the risks was proved to be an ethical background. In comparison to the general population, individuals from minority groups tend to start gambling earlier in life which could be explained by cultural norms, problematic access to resources, and general economic problems.
All of the risks can lead to negative consequences, for example, some of the most common negative consequences, which can be usually seen among young adults are the loss of financial stability, loss of job, and mental problems.
Restrictions and Preventions
However, the question is – what can be done to prevent negative consequences? When it comes to underage gambling, parents play an important role in the prevention of negative consequences. First of all, players can notice, that their child has unusual behavior, for example, irritability, financial issues, reluctance to spend time with family, and unusual online activity, all of it can be a sign of involvement in gambling.
Online casinos also take care of players and therefore provide “Responsible Gambling” practices, which allow to minimize the harm and gamble responsively. Responsible Gambling allows one to set time and betting limits, and seek help, it also provides self-exclusion programs and other helpful practices.
In addition to that, the government regulates laws regarding gambling, however, the most of control is focused on the financial aspect, in order to prevent crime and money laundering.
Regardless of the fact, that plenty of underaged individuals start to gamble, there are still laws when people can start to gamble, and these restrictions also need to be taken into account, as different territories have different laws. On our website, we provide a useful article, which informs readers about the legal age to gamble online.
The legal gambling age differs across countries, usually it varies between 18 or 21. However, some nations permit younger individuals to participate in specific forms of gambling.
Interesting factRegardless of regulations, underage gambling remains prevalent, as many teenagers still use fake identification or access gambling platforms via their parents’ accounts
Conclusion
In general, the most vulnerable group of individuals, who are more prone to be involved in problematic gambling are either underaged individuals or individuals who are in the age group between 18 and 24. There are plenty of negative consequences, which may influence the life of an individual. However, there are many preventive actions and restrictions, which help to control problematic gambling. To sum up, age plays an important role, however, there are some aspects that influence involvement in gambling.
Top Online Casinos
Those readers, who are looking for an online gambling platform to play can explore online casinos, that we provide below, however, please, do not forget, that online gambling can be addictive and cause a range of difficulties, thus, please gamble responsibly.
Furthermore, if you’re looking for even more casinos and bonuses, be sure to check out our list of new online casinos and the latest bonuses!
Nicole
Meet Nicole, our Head of News and your go-to source for all things gambling! With a keen eye for stories, Nicole keeps you up-to-date on online casinos, industry trends, and exciting gambling news. Her engaging and approachable style makes even the most complex topics enjoyable and easy to understand.