By Mr. Anthony Ryan, School Counsellor, Mueller College
──────────────────────────────────────────────────
This week, I had the privilege of speaking with our Year 8 students about one of the most significant, and often invisible, influences shaping the lives of young Australians today: gambling. I wanted to share the key messages with you, because the most powerful protective factor we have is an informed, connected family.
It’s Not What You Think It Looks Like
When most of us picture gambling, we picture a pub, a pokie machine, or a TAB. But for today’s young people, gambling has gone digital, and it’s hiding in plain sight.
Loot boxes in video games are purchases that offer a random chance at in-game rewards, such as skins, credits, or upgrades. Research shows that young people who purchase loot boxes are significantly more likely to develop problem gambling behaviours. It isn’t a guarantee, but it builds the same psychological pathways.
Social casino apps are free to download and mimic poker machines and slots. They normalise the mechanics of gambling long before a young person ever places a real-money bet.
Online sports betting is now among the fastest growing gambling format with young Australians, fuelled by relentless advertising during the sport your family already watches together.
The look has changed, but the risk has not.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────
The Adolescent Brain: A Critical Window
Adolescence is what I call the supercharged window. Neural pathways are forming and strengthening rapidly, meaning the habits your child develops now, healthy or unhealthy, are reinforced over time. We also know from research that children exposed to gambling by age 12 are more likely to develop gambling problems later in life.
Adolescents also gamble for different reasons than adults. They are drawn in by entertainment, social belonging, escaping boredom or negative emotions, and the excitement of competition. This makes the subtle, gamified nature of digital gambling particularly appealing and particularly risky.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────
Five Decisions Already Being Made
The question is not will my child gamble one day? The question is what gambling-like decisions are they already making right now?
- Digital decisions — Opening loot boxes, watching unboxing streams, downloading social casino apps all practise the random reward loop that underlies gambling.
- Social decisions — Joining footy tipping, discussing odds with friends, and watching peers use betting apps embeds gambling into social identity, making it feel normal and fun.
- Family decisions — Watching parents at the pokies, participating in scratchies or lotto, or being asked to place a bet builds positive associations with gambling before the age of 18.
- Coping decisions — Using games or gambling-like activities to escape boredom, loneliness, or a bad day establishes gambling as an emotional coping tool, a core driver of escalation.
- Inattentive decisions — Accepting gambling advertisements during sport without questioning them allows normalisation to occur quietly over time.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────
What the Industry Knows (That We Should Too)
Gambling companies are sophisticated. They use inducement promotions (free bets, sign-up bonuses) that research identifies as a highly influential tactic with young people. They use sports hero endorsements to link gambling to identity and belonging. And they are masters at exploiting four cognitive distortions:
- Gambler’s fallacy: “It hasn’t come up in a while, I must be due.”
- Near miss illusion: “I almost won, one more try.”
- Sunk cost fallacy: “I’ve already spent $30, I may as well keep going.”
- Illusion of control: “I’ve figured out a method for winning.”
Understanding these is one of the most powerful protective steps we can take.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────
What You Can Do at Home
Research is clear: positive family relationships and school connectedness are amongst the strongest protective factors against problem gambling. You do not need to be a gambling expert to make a difference. You need to:
- Talk openly: about what you see in advertising and games. Name the tactics.
- Model healthy coping: show your children how to handle boredom, stress, and disappointment without escaping into screens or gambling-like activities.
- Be mindful of normalisation at home, scratchies as gifts, lotto participation, and watching gambling ads together without comment all shape a young person’s relationship with gambling.
- Stay curious about the games your child plays and the apps on their devices.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────
Seeking Support
If you have concerns about your child, please do not hesitate to reach out.
- Kids Helpline: Free, confidential support available 24/7 by phone or web chat at kidshelpline.com.au
- School Counsellor: Anthony Ryan is available via email at counsellor@mueller.qld.edu.gov.au
