Kids and Online Safety: What to Know About Internet Gambling

As many parents are aware, the Internet makes it unexpectedly easy to gamble and make wagers using real-world or virtual currency, whether on sporting events or games like poker, blackjack or roulette. Many families are, understandably, worried about these concerns and other dangers of the internet, but fear not – as we point out in Parenting High-Tech Kids: The Ultimate Internet, Web, and Online Safety Guide, a few hints, tips, and suggestions can help you better manage them.

Worth noting: A recent survey by the Federal Trade Commission found that minors can easily access gambling websites, which operate on servers based outside of the US and therefore out of the jurisdiction of state and federal regulations. Furthermore, many services have inadequate or hard-to-find warnings about underage gambling, and several offer little to no warning at all. The most popular types of gambling that kids are engaging in today are card games, like Texas hold ‘em poker, and sports betting.

As a result of government action, many popular online gambling destinations are now restricted from US users. They also now point users to companion sites which offer tips for responsible gambling and deny access to users who say they are under 18. Still, the threat clearly remains. Online betting and gambling methods today come in myriad forms, ranging from online poker, blackjack or other casino games to services which let you place bets on real-life occurrences, such as sporting events or even Hollywood awards ceremonies. Although most sites will restrict access to those under 18, gaining access is often as simple as entering a false birth date.

Important to consider: Not only can gambling lead to a loss of actual money and possessions, but it can also – in extreme cases – lead kids down a path towards other illegal activities such as burglary or fraud in order to cover gambling debts or gain funds with which to gamble more. Online gambling, as with real-world gambling, can also be highly addictive.

Tips:

• In order to gamble online, kids need access to an account with each service and money to burn.  Make sure they don’t have such access, and you can prevent them from getting started. This includes barring access to credit cards – sometimes card numbers are all kids need to get started.

• The FTC also warns that gambling is illegal for minors, so sites will go to great lengths to verify the identity of any gambler that they are paying out. If they find out the winner was underage, they won’t send the money. So make sure that your kids understand: They literally have everything to lose and nothing to gain.

• The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling offers these warning signs and tips for addressing teenage gambling:

• • Increased interest in lottery tickets or poker items. Seeing these items around the house is a potential sign that kids are dabbling in gambling. Take steps early to talk to them about the dangers and, if necessary, tips for responsible gambling, such as never wagering more than you can afford to lose.
  • Organizing sports pools around big events such as the NCAA Tournament or NFL football games.
  • Take note if your kids are taking a heightened interest in sporting events, especially ones that aren’t competitively close. Kids may be rooting against the spread or for other things that don’t necessarily affect the outcome of the actual game.
  • Show and explain to kids the downside of gambling. Wagering sites exist for a specific reason – because the house always has an edge. One need look no further than the gaudy decadence of Las Vegas to see that gambling can pay off big… albeit mostly for the ones taking the bets.

• If you think someone in your family has a gambling problem, be advised – sites such as the National Council on Problem Gambling and Gamblers Anonymous can help.

For more on this subject, also see Parenting High-Tech Kids: The Ultimate Internet, Web, and Online Safety Guide.