It’s easier than ever to gamble. With online games and sports betting, you don’t have to go to a casino or find some exclusive game to start. Gambling can be especially attractive to teens and adolescents—even if they’re considered underage on many platforms. Sports, video game tournaments, and even virtual items can all become opportunities for teens to put real money on the line. Underage gambling addiction treatment can help your teen break this dangerous cycle before it becomes a lifelong problem.

Family First Adolescent Services offers adolescent mental health treatment programs at our center in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. We specialize in helping teens 13–18 overcome addictive behaviors and manage their mental health. Our team also works closely with families to create healthier homes and become partners in recovery. Call 888.904.5947 to see how we can help your family heal.

Online Gambling Addiction Is Real

Addiction does not always involve drugs or alcohol. Behavioral or process addictions occur when an individual compulsively engages in an activity despite negative consequences. Gambling addiction is a real and serious issue that can impact individuals of any age, including teenagers. Virtual platforms—which may not always seem like gambling rooms—have blurred the lines between gaming and gambling, making it easier for adolescents to get hooked.

• Virtual loot boxes – Popular in video games, loot boxes are a form of gambling where players purchase a box with random digital items, hoping to get the most valuable ones.
• Online sports betting – Fantasy football leagues and esports tournaments have become increasingly popular, especially among teens.
• Social media – Some platforms expose teens to gambling-like activities, such as virtual scratch-off tickets or spin-to-win games.

Your teen might not realize that the consequences of their gambling have real-world effects. Even though they may not be able to enter a casino or buy lottery tickets, real money is still being risked and lost. This can lead to financial problems, strained relationships, and other consequences that only escalate as they get older.

Our Approach to Inpatient Treatment for Gambling Addiction

Teens might turn to gambling because of boredom, peer pressure, or because it offers them an escape from everyday stressors. The Family First team knows that understanding these underlying factors is crucial in helping teens overcome their addiction. We also support parents during treatment as part of our comprehensive approach.

Teen Gambling Addiction Treatment

When your teen stays at our residential treatment center, they have the opportunity to become immersed in the treatment process. By providing a well-rounded experience, they can learn that life without gambling is meaningful and rewarding. We provide:

• Individual and group therapy
• Academic support
• Opportunities for healthy experiences
• Psychiatric and nursing support

Compassionate professionals work with our clients and their families to create individualized treatment plans that address any co-occurring mental health conditions. We also help teens develop healthy coping skills and relapse prevention strategies, setting them up for long-term success.

Family Support and Involvement

Family involvement is key to successful addiction treatment. Our goal is to help families understand how they can support their teens during and after treatment. Therapy sessions, educational workshops, and consistent communication keep parents involved while connecting with other families going through similar experiences.

After gambling addiction treatment, we provide at least one year of aftercare support for clients and families. Ongoing support and connection are critical in maintaining long-term recovery progress.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Happens If You Get Caught Gambling Under 18?

Underage gambling can result in fines and penalties, both of which vary by state. Penalties can include driver’s license suspension and, in some cases, potential jail time. If parents knowingly let their teens break underage gambling laws, they may also face penalties.

What Are the Effects of Underage Gambling?

Teen gambling can cause gambling addiction. A diagnosis of gambling addiction does not require the use of drugs or alcohol—it’s a behavioral addiction. Gambling likely affects many of the same areas of the brain that substances do. The more someone gambles, the more likely they are to feel the compulsive need to gamble more often or with higher stakes to feel the same rush. Compulsive gambling can cause serious financial, social, and legal risks for teens and adults alike. Some studies also suggest that teens with gambling issues are more likely to engage in other risk-taking behaviors and develop substance use disorders.

What Ages Are Most Likely to Have Gambling Addiction?

Adults between 18 and 24 are more likely to have gambling addiction—which may stem from easy, legal access to gambling while their brains are still developing. But adolescents and adults of any age can engage in problematic gambling. Some research points to adolescents as young as 12 having issues with gambling. Teens are less likely to see gambling as an issue, especially given how widely marketed and accepted it is in the U.S. As sportsbooks, casino apps, and games of chance on social media continue to become more prevalent, teens will likely have easier access and more acceptance of gambling even though they’re still in critical stages of brain development.

What’s the Best Treatment for Teen Gambling?

Since gambling is so widely accepted and often seen as harmless fun—and because it’s illegal for teens to gamble—research into the best treatment is limited. Talk and behavioral therapies, like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), can help teens recognize feelings, emotions, and compulsions to gamble while teaching them coping strategies to change the behavior.

Call Family First for Adolescent Gambling Addiction Treatment

Our residential treatment center offers a safe and supportive environment for teens to heal and learn healthy coping skills. Call us at 888.904.5947 or contact Family First Adolescent Services online today to find out if our gambling addiction treatment program is right for your teen.