{"id":513666,"date":"2026-03-04T11:56:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T11:56:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/513666\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T11:56:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T11:56:08","slug":"young-boys-being-groomed-into-gambling-addiction-by-gaming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/513666\/","title":{"rendered":"Young boys being ‘groomed’ into gambling addiction by gaming"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n Mr Hartson, who has spoken publicly about his own battle with gambling addiction<\/a>, said the report reflects what he sees through the recovery workshops he runs with his wife, Sarah.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cYoung men today are growing up in a world where gambling is everywhere,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n

\n Major new report warns young men being \u2018groomed\u2019 into problem gambling\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt\u2019s normalised through sport, on TV<\/a>, across social media, and through 24\/7 online gambling platforms that never switch off.\n<\/p>\n

\n “Add to that constant marketing, influencer pressure, and now the emergence of crypto casinos operating outside traditional safeguards \u2014 and it becomes clear that this is not a fair fight.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIf policy makers and practitioners do not understand the environment young men are trying to navigate, they simply cannot provide the right support,\u201d he added.\n<\/p>\n

\n The report, Navigating an addictive and toxic landscape, was authored by Chris Harkins, public health programme manager at the GCPH.\n<\/p>\n

\n He warns that gambling habits often begin in the late teenage years and are usually firmly established by the age of 20.\n<\/p>\n

\n Young men who are most at risk tend to share certain characteristics and backgrounds. They are more likely to show behavioural traits such as hyperactivity, conduct problems, a strong appetite for risk and low self-control.\n<\/p>\n

\n Environmental factors also play a role.\n<\/p>\n

\n Someone gambling online\n<\/p>\n

\n Higher-risk young men are more likely to have had less supervision from parents, to have grown up around gambling, or to spend significant time on social media.\n<\/p>\n

\n Life circumstances matter too. Risk is higher among those with lower levels of education, those who are unemployed and those living in deprived communities.\n<\/p>\n

\n The report identifies three growing digital environments that are increasing the risks for young men.\n<\/p>\n

\n First, some features within video games, including \u201cloot boxes\u201d and \u201cskin gambling\u201d are described as predatory and capable of normalising gambling behaviour from a young age.\n<\/p>\n

\n Loot boxes are paid-for mystery rewards in games. Players spend money to open a virtual box without knowing what\u2019s inside. The contents are random, it might be something common and low\u2011value, or a rare, highly prized item.\n<\/p>\n

\n Skin gambling involves betting with cosmetic items that change the look of characters or weapons but often have a real\u2011world cash value on third\u2011party websites.\n<\/p>\n

\n One study found that young people who purchased loot boxes were 11 times more likely to develop problem gambling.\n<\/p>\n

\n Mr Harkins said the \u201cevidence supports the conclusion that these practices act as a form of behavioural priming or grooming, conditioning young people to engage with chance-based monetisation systems long before legal gambling is permitted\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cFrom legal, moral and ethical standpoints, this constitutes a predatory commercial practice that sits uneasily with UK societal values and child protection principles,\u201d he added.\n<\/p>\n

\n Second, social media and influencer culture play a significant role. Targeted gambling adverts are widespread, with 72% of 18 to 24-year-olds reporting that they see gambling advertising at least once a week.\n<\/p>\n

\n The report also highlights the influence of so-called \u201cmasculinity influencers\u201d and online \u201cflexing culture\u201d, where displays of wealth and status are used to present gambling as a shortcut to success or social approval.\n<\/p>\n

\n Manosphere influencer Andrew Tate (Image: PA)\n<\/p>\n

\n Third, cryptocurrency gambling platforms are becoming increasingly popular among young men who are confident with technology.\n<\/p>\n

\n These \u201ccrypto casinos\u201d offer anonymity and fast, frictionless transactions. Many operate outside UK regulation, meaning they may lack age-verification checks or safeguards designed to prevent unaffordable losses.\n<\/p>\n

\n The report also highlights serious links between gambling and other risks, describing what it calls a \u201cwider constellation of harm\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n Problem gambling is strongly associated with poor mental health and suicide. One study found that attempts to die by suicide were nine times higher among young men with gambling problems compared to their peers.\n<\/p>\n

\n There is also a high overlap with other harmful behaviours, including regular smoking, illicit drug use and problem drinking.\n<\/p>\n

\n In addition, the report points to a significant connection between problem gambling and domestic abuse.\n<\/p>\n

\n Mr Harkins referenced a 2022 study which \u201creports how problem gambling created situations that increased intimate partner violence, including anger over losses, family stressors and conflicts, with violent backlash silencing the woman\u2019s objections\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n The author argues that current approaches to tackling gambling harm are too fragmented and that regulation around gambling is out of date.\n<\/p>\n

\n He says stronger regulation in needed, including tighter controls on loot boxes and gambling advertising on social media.\n<\/p>\n

\n Mr Harkins also calls for young men to be treated as a priority group in policy making and says that support services need to take a more joined-up approach, screening for gambling harm alongside mental health and substance misuse issues.\n<\/p>\n

\n Mr Harkins said: \u201cYoung men are growing up within digital, commercial and cultural environments that normalise risk and make gambling both accessible and appealing.\n<\/p>\n

\n “This review shows that through gambling-like features within video games, aggressively targeted social media ads, influencer culture and high-speed 24\/7 betting and casino apps, risk is normalised, encouraged and glamorised.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cFor young men in 2026, becoming addicted to gambling is not simply about poor choices. It is about pressure, identity, modern expressions of masculinity, aspiration and exposure in a digital ecosystem that profits from risk.\n<\/p>\n

\n “If we want to prevent gambling harm, we must reshape the toxic and addictive environments that are shaping young men.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Mr Hartson has previously revealed how his own decades-long gambling addiction began in childhood and escalated during his professional career.\n<\/p>\n

\n He traces it back to fruit machines in Swansea as an 11-year-old and says that, once he reached the top level of the game, he was betting heavily with major bookmakers, losing \u201ctens of thousands\u201d of pounds.\n<\/p>\n

\n He has now been in recovery for 13 years and credits Gamblers Anonymous with helping him stop gambling.\n<\/p>\n

\n John Hartson, Chris Harkins, and Sarah Hartson (Image: GCPH)\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cAt first, I didn\u2019t think I had a problem. But over time, gambling took over my life. I was thinking about it from the moment I woke up until the last thing at night. I hid it. I lied. I lived under constant stress. Gambling consumed me.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cSo much so that when I started developing clear signs of cancer in 2009, I ignored them. I was more focused on my next bet than my own health. I put gambling ahead of my life. The cancer escalated. I was hospitalised for weeks. And I came frighteningly close to not being here at all.\n<\/p>\n

\n “This review talks about masculinity, stigma and not asking for help. That was me, 100%. I did not talk. I did not ask. I thought I had to handle everything myself. When I speak to young men today, I hear the same things \u2014 just in a more pressurised, digital world.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Ms Hartson said while one person may be labelled a \u201cproblem gambler\u201d, the \u201charm spreads far beyond them\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThrough John\u2019s addiction, our entire family felt the impact. We lived with constant stress, fear and emotional strain.\n<\/p>\n

\n “When John\u2019s health deteriorated and his cancer escalated to the point where he might not survive, I remember sitting at his hospital bedside thinking over and over again: \u2018How did it get to this point?\u2019 The answer was gambling.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThe review makes a powerful point, that if gambling harms were truly quantified, the numbers would be far higher than the number of people identified as problem gamblers.\n<\/p>\n

\n “That reflects my reality. Gambling has a ripple effect. It spreads through families and communities, fuelling anxiety, conflict and often other unhealthy coping mechanisms such as alcohol and substance misuse. No one escapes untouched.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mr Hartson, who has spoken publicly about his own battle with gambling addiction, said the report reflects what…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":513667,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[49,48,84,393,394],"class_list":["post-513666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-health","tag-mental-health","tag-mentalhealth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=513666"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513666\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/513667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=513666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=513666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=513666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}