Kim Freudenberg, a longtime San Francisco teacher, expected to warn her sons about drugs, alcohol, sex and online safety—but never thought she needed to warn them about gambling.
When her oldest was 11, he clicked a comment link on a livestreamed video game and was taken to an offshore online casino. He began playing blackjack, poker and roulette, using in-game items as currency. He became hooked, but the addiction was hard to spot.
“He wasn’t just holed up in his room 24-7,” Freudenberg says. “He ran track. He played soccer. He was a great student.” Still, by 19 he dropped out of college, and his mother discovered he’d been gambling for nearly half his life. He’d sold possessions, borrowed from friends and eventually stole from his parents to cover debts.
Educators, researchers and parents say many young people—mostly boys—are facing similar problems. A national survey from Common Sense Media found 36% of U.S. boys ages 11 to 17 gambled in the past year. Michael Robb, head of research at Common Sense Media, says some forms of gambling—like fantasy football or March Madness brackets—can be harmless social activities, but for a subset of kids the behavior is already showing alarming signs.
Gambling has surged nationwide since a 2018 Supreme Court ruling allowed states to legalize sports betting. From one state then to 38 by 2024, legal sports wagering exploded; U.S. consumer spending on sports betting rose from about $4.9 billion before the decision to $121 billion by 2023, according to JAMA. Though under-18s can’t legally gamble, experts say access is ubiquitous.
“If I wanted to bet on the [Washington] Nationals,” says Matt Missar, a Pittsburgh addiction counselor, “20 years ago, as a teenager, I’d go find a bookie and place a bet. Nowadays, I can bet on every single pitch of a game.” Much of that growth is on cellphones, he adds: “It is incredibly easy.” Missar, who treats gambling and video-game addictions, says more young adults are seeking help and that many problems begin at 13 or 14 and worsen over years.
Freudenberg says online gambling often looks like normal screen time—texting a friend or watching videos—so parents may miss it. She believes removing practical barriers has made it easier for kids to slide into addiction: if a teen had to drive, show ID and enter a casino, they might never become addicted.
After several rehab attempts, Freudenberg’s son returned to college and is doing better. She helped start a support group for parents of teen gamblers, Parents Standing Together (https://parentsstandingtogether.org/), which is growing. She worries many families haven’t yet realized the scale of the problem.
“The tsunami is on the horizon,” she says. “And it’s gonna be really, really bad.”