Bigger, Younger Online Gambling

The fastest growing market in online gambling is college kids 18 to 24 years old. But it does not start there.

A survey in Oregon found that 1 in 3 youths ages 12 to 17 already engage in online gambling, even if free games.

The survey - Oregon Youth and Their Parents: Gambling and Problem Gambling Prevalence and Attitudes - found that 6 in 10 Oregon adolescents surveyed have gambled at some time in their lives, and nearly half have done so in the past year.

These numbers are significant not only in light of the US ban on online gambling. They are considerable enough to demand attention by parents and governments, not only by the law.

While online gambling in itself is not necessarily negative, players need protection. This is certainly true when kids are involved.

With nearly 2,000 gambling sites on the web, it is no difficulty to find action, whether free or for money. What is sometimes too difficult to find, especially in an environment that considers online gambling a taboo and refusing to deal with it directly, are resources for problem gamblers.

A prevention health educator in Oregon, Yvonne Kays, expressed the right message: "We're not saying 'Don't gamble.' Our message is, you need to recognize the risk factors and when it becomes a problem."