Research shows that the earlier an individual begins to gamble, the more at risk he or she is of developing a gambling problem later in life. Just like with alcohol and drugs, the greater accessibility and availability of gambling has been found to relate to increased rates of problem gambling. Video games and the Internet provide the easiest possible accessibility and availability to gamble, and there is a definite lack of supervision on the Internet in terms of verifying legal ages to gamble.
This is a major concern for people concerned about youth gambling, since young people have more than twice the rate of problem gambling than adults. Research shows that four to eight percent of adolescents already have a problem with gambling, and an additional 10-15 percent are at risk for developing a severe gambling problem. A major concern with young people is that gambling problems are relatively easy to hide, and visible consequences may not appear until well into adulthood.
Electronic forms of gambling are well known to be the most "addictive" and contribute to the greatest, fastest development of gambling problems. Most people who enter into treatment for gambling problems report some form of video gambling as their preferred way to gamble. The combination of being able to 1) play alone, 2) for long periods of time, and 3) with intermittent rewards, creates the conditions for high risk of the development of gambling problems.
For any game that offers connection to real gambling over the Internet, provide clear warning about the potential risks and harms of gambling, in addition to providing a resource of how to seek help for gambling problems.