KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – For years, teen usage of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes have been warned about for parents. But a new addiction — through the same device they use to do homework, talk to friends, and play games — is taking the hold of teenagers.
At 15 years old, Matthew Whitney had no idea he was already addicted.
“Starting to think a little bit more in depth — about where gambling started for me, it’s really hard to put a finger on it at times,” he tells KCTV.
Whitney said in high school he and his friends would gamble with each other.
“Some days after school we would meet and have a whole poker tournament, or sit and watch a sports game, and would have bets between friends on the game,” Whitney said. “That was really where it started for me. I didn’t necessarily view it as gambling.”
Gambling gave Whitney a rush and filled a void for him as his parents went through a divorce, he said.
“There was an excitement with any form, whether it was $5,” he said. “There was a level of excitement there that came with that dopamine rush of quick money.”
Matthew Whitney, who is now 3 years clean from gambling and the Director of Recovery Ministry at Church of the Resurrection, said he would warn today’s youth that it can be fun. “But there’s a big danger,” he says.(KCTV5)
The Texas Hold’em games gave way to a rush that became compulsive once Whitney was in college. At 18, Whitney and friends would drive south, cross the Oklahoma border, and gamble at casinos in the Sooner State. When they weren’t driving to Oklahoma, Whitney and his roommates would access offshore online sites to bet and play poker.
Whitney’s compulsive gambling nearly destroyed his life.
“Online casinos, slot machines on your phone, sports betting. It was my sole focus,” he says. “I was stealing money from my family to gamble.”
As gambling becomes more prevalent in society — with legalized sports wagering now available in both Kansas and Missouri — a recent study found 36% of boys between 11 and 17 years old have gambled in the past year. Researchers say the gambling bug can often start with loot boxes and skins available through video games.
“You have a one-in-a-million chance of getting this mythic item,” says Nick Engstrom, the CEO of KC Game On, a non-profit dedicated to gaming and esports. “Everybody wants to have that cool skin or that cool color or style or whatever it is in the game.”
Video games like Battlefront, Rocket League or Fortnite feature loot boxes and skins. Engstrom said landing a rare one is like hitting the jackpot.
“I could certainly see that crossover,” Engstrom said between video games and gambling. “But I don’t necessarily feel like it’s predatory because it’s not like you don’t have a choice.”
Those who treat addicted teens aren’t so sure.
Inside treatment centers like Midwest Recovery Center, the connection between video games and online gambling isn’t just theoretical; it’s what they see every day.
Taylor Brown, a Certified Reciprocal Alcohol & Drug Counselor (CRADC) with the Midwest Recovery Center, said it’s a dangerous game to play with teens.
Red flags for parentsUnexplained spending: Watch for missing cash, unrecognized app store charges or credit cards suddenly linked to devicesShielding: Kids who suddenly angle the phone away or immediately lock the screen when they’re around you.Hyper-preoccupation: Kids who seem constantly distracted, checking odds or anxious about their next win.Isolation: Checking out and pulling away from family, friends and other hobbiesSecrets: Taking money or lying about it.
“When you’re putting a casino-like reward system in a young person’s pocket with a brain that hasn’t fully developed,” Brown said, “coping tools on how to manage impulse and risk and long-term consequences, that’s a very dangerous place to be.”
Brown says many teens don’t even recognize the problem. Even worse, it’s normalized by society.
Gambling ads for sportsbooks can be found frequently in television commercials, often with celebrity endorsements. With major sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL each forming official partnerships with gambling companies, their ads can often be seen by youth watching games.
A recent YouGov survey says U.S. gamblers view celebrity advertisements as a positive.
FILE – Advertisements for sports betting apps are seen in downtown Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)(Charlie Riedel | AP)
“It was on my Instagram. It was on my Facebook… Whether you’re seeing another post of another young person who’s doing it or you’re seeing celebrities, it builds trust,” Brown said.
Whitney says the after-school poker games of his youth were born without the encouragement of today’s advertising trends.
“‘It’s risk-free,’” Whitney said of the framing of advertisements. “You see a lot of times in these advertisements, ‘$5 gets your $300,’ that type of deal. That’s something that wasn’t around when I was that age.”
Common Sense Media’s study found more than half of the adolescent boys who gamble are exposed –mostly through algorithmic exposure — to gambling advertisements.
“Social media influence attached to the idea of gambling was something that I never experienced at a young age and (gambling) still had a huge pull on me,” Whitney said. “I just can’t even imagine. It’s scary, and a big concern because this is what teens are dealing with today.”
At casinos, Brown said many of the games available for adults feature many of the same bells and whistles as some of the video games played by kids.
“They are very similar,” he said. “When you’re looking at slot machines, it’s a game and you build up the coins and it’s very noisy and loud and the ‘ding ding ding ding ding,’ they are trying to get you excited. They’re trying to fire dopamine.
“It’s very much the same I think as when you’re playing video games.”
Taylor Brown, with the Midwest Recovery Center, said he views casino games and video games in a similar light with how they target dopamine responses.(KCTV5)
Experts say the cases of teen gambling as a serious concern are rising and early intervention is key.
Because there may not be physical evidence, as is the case with substance abuse, Whitney said he thinks it can be easier for anyone to hide a gambling addiction.
“You might not see it physically,” Whitney said. “So yeah, I consider it way more dangerous, personally. It’s just so easy to get into. And it’s so easy to continue without others noticing until it’s maybe too late.”
Officials say educating yourself and your teen, setting limits and establishing consequences are all important steps toward avoiding disaster.
Whitney, who is now three-and-a-half years clean from gambling and serving as the Director of Recovery Ministry at the Church of the Resurrection, shared his message for today’s youth.
“I would be honest and say that it can be fun,” Whitney said of his message to teenagers. “That’s the truth. But there’s a big danger in not being able to recognize when it changes from not fun to dangerous and hurtful. And the effects that it can have are long-lasting. It was for me.
“There was a lot of pain caused by gambling that I’m sure I could’ve done without.”
If you or a loved one is experiencing gambling addiction, call 1-888-BETS-OFF or call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET.
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