A shocking new body of research has exposed the critical role parents play in driving underage gambling rates, with many actively encouraging and facilitating the illegal practice within their own homes.

Data compiled by the Australia Institute reveals that approximately 600,000 Australian teenagers under the age of 18 gamble every year. To understand this phenomenon, researchers from CQUniversity's Appleton Institute and the Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory analyzed parental attitudes and behaviors. Their findings, published across two major academic papers, paint a worrying picture of household endorsement of gambling.

The Role of Parental Facilitation

According to Dr. Cassy Dittman, lead author of the studies, parents are frequently engaging in behaviors that normalize and encourage gambling. This includes talking openly about personal betting wins, asking teenagers to select lottery or Keno numbers, placing sports and racing bets on behalf of their underage children, and even allowing minors to use their online wagering accounts.

"That parental facilitation of gambling came out above and beyond as the strongest factor in predicting adolescent gambling problems," Dr. Dittman explained. "Just how strong that effect was was really surprising. The more parents engaged in these facilitative behaviors, the more likely teens were to gamble and develop risky or problematic gambling habits."

A Cultural Normalization

The issue extends beyond individual households to a broader societal acceptance. Dr. Morgan Harrington, a research manager at the Australia Institute who has published extensive research on youth gambling, argues that parental attitudes reflect a wider cultural shift.

"With the saturation level of gambling advertising that we have in Australia, and because online gambling has put a casino in every pocket, all of this contributes to a real, profound cultural shift in which gambling is coming to be seen as a normal part of everyday life," Dr. Harrington said.

Australians remain the world’s most prolific gamblers, losing an estimated $35 billion annually—a figure that does not account for the devastating social and mental health impacts. Dr. Harrington points to weak regulatory frameworks as a primary driver of this national habit. "We've allowed a culture to evolve where people accept this as normal, but stronger regulations could help claw back some of these massive losses," he added.

A Blind Spot for Parents

Despite the illegal nature of underage gambling, Dr. Dittman's research indicates that parents are largely unconcerned. Nearly 30 percent of parents surveyed admitted their teenager had engaged in some form of monetary gambling—such as buying lottery tickets, playing poker machines, or sports betting—over the past year.

Surprisingly, when asked to rank 11 major issues affecting youth, parents placed gambling at the very bottom of their concerns, prioritizing issues like bullying, mental health, and substance abuse instead.

Furthermore, "co-gambling" is highly prevalent. Approximately two-thirds of parents who had gambled in the past year reported that their adolescent was present during the activity. Dr. Dittman warned that this teaches young people that gambling is a harmless, low-risk social activity.

Calls for Urgent Reform

Advocates are pointing to a lack of political action on the issue. In 2023, a landmark parliamentary inquiry into online gambling harm delivered a report titled You win some, you lose more, which offered 31 recommendations, including a total ban on gambling advertising and the creation of a national regulator. However, progress on these recommendations has stalled.

In response, a spokesperson for the Department of Social Services stated that the federal government is collaborating with state and territory leaders to implement protection measures. Key initiatives include mandatory pre-verification to confirm a user's identity before they can open an online wagering account, alongside reforms targeting gambling-like mechanics in video games. Additionally, a new public awareness campaign targeting high-risk demographics, including young men and teenagers, is being developed to educate the public on the severe impacts of online gambling.