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Written by Zach Weinberg, 11/07/2024
It’s a typical Saturday night across the country where people are gathering to watch Hockey Night in Canada. This scene has happily repeated itself for decades and decades – families, friends, kids, cheering on their favourite teams and favourite players. Experiencing the highs and lows, the wins and losses, the shut-outs and shootouts, and so much more. You cherish the memories of the night and the people you spent it with – while you look forward to the next one.
BUT – this iconic experience is changing. While it may seem similar on the surface, underneath there’s a whole other game at play.
Let’s reimagine that scene, but this time as a 14-year-old in 2023. You’re watching hockey with your friends - maybe it’s the Maple Leafs playing the Montreal Canadians - a classic rivalry. A commercial comes on. You see the player you’ve always looked up to, Austen Mathews. He’s talking about how people can win real money if they bet on live sports, and how much more enjoyable the game can be. Perhaps you've seen those commercials before, and wonder who is actually using these sites. The truth is, even though it’s illegal — it is kids around my own age and younger who are gambling. The same way that kids are lying about their age to be on Snapchat and Instagram, they are lying about their age so they can gamble. Why wouldn’t they? Their idol, the person they admire most, the best hockey player out there, is endorsing it — what could be the harm?
This speech will address: the prevalence of online sports betting amongst minors, the significant impact it can have and the roles athletes play, as well as some potential solutions to address this emerging issue.
Betting in the sports world is not new at all, of course. For centuries, people have placed bets on sports and contests and have dealt with the consequences. But, for the most part, this never really impacted kids because it was an ‘adult thing’ and easy to supervise and regulate since it was all done in person. With the rise of technology, online sports betting has become a major industry valued at approximately 64 billion dollars and companies like FanDuel, Bet99 and BetMGM are growing at exponential rates, making billions of dollars each year.
As a result, it’s become very easy for kids to place bets, even though it’s technically illegal for anyone under 18. And that’s exactly the issue, it’s too accessible and a dangerous problem that is going unrecognized. 80% of high school students have admitted to gambling in their life. And 5 per cent of kids aged 11-15 fit the criteria of a person with a gambling problem, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. There can be devastating short- and long-term consequences, and ultimately experts predict we’ll have an underage gambling epidemic on our hands.
Kids’ online sports betting can have two main impacts: financial and psychological problems. Let’s start with the financial impact.
Many kids don’t understand the value of money, especially when trading dollars electronically. Since it’s not tangible, they don't really see or understand what they are losing. It’s just numbers on a screen, a game, and often, they’re using their parents' money…possibly even without them knowing. So they don’t end up treating it like real money, which could get them into real trouble. For instance, Nick Phillips, a 16-year-old in Swansee, England started betting on sports after seeing some ads and had lost thousands of dollars within a few weeks.
But financial problems are just one aspect. And while these can be life-altering, there are even more worrisome psychological impacts which can be life-threatening.
Educators and parents all understand that technology in the classroom has many positives, but also important negative aspects. Add access to online gambling is a major “con”. Maybe you are like me, and have looked around your classroom and seen kids on their screens placing bets or watching games. It may seem innocent and all, but it’s disruptive and can impact their academic performance.
Addiction to gambling is another huge potential issue. It can be a slippery slope from casual betting to addiction. Just like with alcohol, smoking or drug use, most people don’t try it with the intention of becoming addicted. But we know it happens all too often. Studies show that people with gambling problems are at the highest risk of suicide compared to any other addiction. It is time to look past flashy apps, and pro athletes who rave about these sites; we cannot afford another mental health crisis for children.
With a problem developing at such rapid speed, what can we do? Well, I stand here today as somebody who believes that there is hope for young people like myself to overcome what is fast becoming a major epidemic. So today, I will highlight two possible solutions that can be implemented.
One is Education and awareness. And the other is, to stop glamorizing gambling and restricting the promotion of it by celebrities.
First, we need to raise awareness. We have to reach kids where they are – in schools, on various media platforms and through popular culture.
Many schools have sessions for students and parents about the dangers of social media and about cyber-bullying. We need to include expert information and advice about online gambling as well. This topic can also be added to the Physical Education and Health curriculum, as well as to assemblies about other mental health issues.
Public service announcements can be placed into ads during TV shows that kids and teens watch, as well as during sporting events themselves. Messages about the risks of online gambling can be integrated into the storylines of shows and movies viewed by minors.
We need to ensure that we really expose the dangers of underage gambling and make sure this major issue is not being ignored.
Sports betting companies recruit major athletes like Connor McDavid and Austin Matthews, who many kids look up to. Their purpose is to promote these sites and make them seem cool. This needs to stop as it is influencing many kids. We need other athletes and people kids admire to be recruited as well - to expose and explain the risks of gambling to a place viewed by children.
Most importantly, the act of gambling must stop being glamorized. When professional athletes are promoting these sites, it sends a harmful message to all fans, including young children. Who are the most susceptible and most at risk to start betting.
We all know children are the future of our society, and we are all tired of epidemics and pandemics. We need to understand that there isn’t enough knowledge and support about this subject - from the government, from parents, from companies, from celebrities, from schools. If we don’t pay more attention, it will become a problem that impacts our generation and beyond. Right now, there isn’t a system in place to help. The impact is significant, but the solutions are very clear: urgently raise awareness and stop glamorizing gambling to children.
If there is one bet that I would be willing to take: it is betting on the fact that we can overcome this increasing threat. I promise, betting on kids will pay off in the long run.
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