Report Shows Rise in Youth Gambling and Gaming in BC

A new McCreary Centre Society report suggests that a disturbingly high number of teenagers in British Columbia choose to spend money on gambling and gaming, as online opportunities keep expanding across Canada.

Roughly 35% of B.C. Teens Gambled in the Past Year

The study analyzed responses from over 38,200 young people between the ages of 12 and 18 through its 2023 B.C. Adolescent Health Survey. Once every five years, the survey assesses a series of problems directly impacting youth, with this year’s edition putting gambling and money-based gaming under the spotlight.

According to the data, 34% of respondents admitted to taking part in at least one of eight gambling or gaming-for-money activities in the past year. 

These ranged from sports betting to buying in-game items with real money. The report noted that since its last review in 2021, Canada’s legalization of single-game sports betting for adults has made gambling more visible and accessible, particularly online, with other provinces like Quebec reporting similarly disturbing statistics. 

Video Game Purchases and Sports Betting, in the Lead

McCreary Centre Society executive director Annie Smith said the most common activity reported by youth was using money inside video games, even though the organization didn’t track that specific behavior during the 2021 survey. 

At the same time, traditional gambling methods came off as less popular for teens, with a notable decline in purchasing lottery tickets. Still, overall youth gambling rose slightly, with 20% of respondents saying they had gambled, marking a 2% increase compared to the previous report.

“That includes online sports betting, which has doubled in the five years in between doing the surveys, and playing cards and dice online has more than doubled,” Smith explained. “We know that gambling is much easier for young people to access when it’s online.”, she added.

“The Younger You Start, the Harder It Is to Stop”

The study also highlighted regional differences, with youth in northern B.C., the Interior, and Vancouver Island reporting higher rates of gambling, while those in Vancouver Coastal and Fraser had the lowest.

It is also important to note that 12% of participants said they needed help with tackling problematic gaming that involved real money, while 1% reported needing help with gambling. 

Many of these teens also admitted to facing other challenges, such as lacking close in-person friends or experiencing food insecurity.

University of B.C. professor Elizabeth Saewyc, who was not involved in the study, raised concerns about long-term effects. 

“With nearly all kinds of addictive behaviors … the younger you start, the harder it is to stop,” she said. Saewyc emphasized that late-night gambling can affect sleep, which in turn impacts mood, memory, and school performance.

She suggested families can help by setting limits on electronics at night, encouraging outdoor activities, and talking openly with young people about gambling without judgment.