Study Explores How Adolescent Boys Are Being Tricked into Gambling

A new study named “Betting on Boys: Understanding Gambling Among Adolescent Boys” reveals how gambling has become common among adolescent boys, showing that more than a third of boys gamble before they turn 18. 

Study Explores the Ways Boys Are Lured into Gambling

Conducted by Common Sense Media, the report is the second one in a series examining teenage boys’ online activity. It was discovered that, for boys today, gambling largely does not take place in traditional casinos or at card tables. Instead, it exists in sports betting and within boys’ favorite video games through loot boxes, skin cases, and other reward systems that blur the line between playing and paying.

Gambling material often also appears in boys’ social media feeds via algorithmic recommendations. Nearly half of the boys who gamble encounter online material that promotes gambling, most often through algorithmic exposure. According to the study, about 60% of 11 to 17-year-olds are seeing ads for gambling on YouTube and social media.

This isn’t the first study linking loot boxes in video games with gambling behavior in young men and boys. One study from Norway revealed that a concerning portion of adolescents have engaged in gambling, despite the legal age for betting in the country being 18 years.

Common Sense Media Founder Comments on the Study

Jim Steyer, founder of Common Sense Media, said the results of the new research were “absolutely astounding” and should serve as a wake-up call for parents everywhere. He noted that one in three boys in the United States is gambling online before reaching voting age.

Steyer explained that young boys are often drawn into online gambling-adjacent activities through algorithmically delivered messages, particularly in games that offer loot boxes and the chance to “win” prizes. While these mechanics may appear harmless, he argued they are effectively no different from placing a bet in a casino.

He also pointed out that even teens who do not gamble themselves report watching online gambling content from creators such as Adin Ross and Drake.

According to Steyer, addressing the issue will require multiple solutions, including mandatory age verification across social media platforms and stricter advertising restrictions. He added that families watching televised sporting events should not be inundated with advertisements for gambling apps.

Steyer said there are clear solutions. However, he emphasized that the industry must take responsibility and that lawmakers across the country need to enact straightforward laws to penalize companies that exploit vulnerable boys.