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State of Play’s TL;DR
- FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul examined teen gambling risks in an interview with parenting strategist Dr. Madeleine Gagnon.
- Gagnon encouraged parents to ask teens about gambling apps and websites.
More than 40% of American teenagers ages 13–17 say they have gambled in the past year, according to Rutgers University research cited by FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul in a Nov. 2 interview.
Parenting strategist Dr. Madeleine Gagnon discussed how young people encounter online betting and why families should address the risks before a crisis.
Online betting can be difficult for parents to spot
The FOX 9 discussion described teens gambling online, usually on sports, with exposure also coming through video games and peer groups.
Gagnon said teens can reach betting websites whether or not online sports betting is legal in their state.
That access can make gambling less visible to parents than a visit to a casino. Gagnon also addressed the potential for debt and the role of the brain’s reward system in gambling.
“I would not be shy at all about talking to my own middle school sons about this topic because it’s not so obvious as, you know, gambling in a casino, right?”
Gagnon urges direct conversations about gambling
Gagnon encouraged parents to talk directly with teenagers rather than wait for a gambling problem to emerge. Her advice included asking about the apps and websites teens use and discussing how influencers and peers expose them to betting.
Gagnon recommended making gambling part of ongoing family conversations:
“You want to be talking about this topic along with, you know, 700 other hot topics.”
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Based on reporting by FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul.
