Kim Freudenberg, a veteran San Francisco teacher, says she warned her sons about drugs, alcohol, sex, social media and bike safety — but never about gambling. When her oldest was 11, he clicked a link in a livestream chat and landed on an offshore online casino. He began playing blackjack, poker and roulette, using virtual video-game items as currency.
On the surface he looked fine: running track, playing soccer and keeping up his grades. The gambling, however, continued for years. By 19 he had dropped out of college; Freudenberg later learned he had been betting for nearly half his life. To cover mounting losses he sold household goods, borrowed from friends and eventually stole from his parents.
Educators, researchers and other parents say Freudenberg’s story mirrors a growing problem, particularly among boys. A national Common Sense Media survey found that 36 percent of U.S. boys ages 11 to 17 gambled in the past year. Michael Robb, head of research at the nonprofit, cautions that while many activities such as fantasy football or filling out a March Madness bracket are harmless for most kids, a subset are developing troubling gambling behaviors.
The rise in youth gambling is tied in part to the rapid expansion of legal sports betting since a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision allowed states to legalize it. A Journal of the American Medical Association review found annual spending on sports betting jumped from $4.9 billion before the decision to $121 billion by 2023. Although people under 18 cannot legally place bets, experts say access is easy and widespread.
“You can bet on every single pitch of a game,” says Matt Missar, an addiction counselor in Pittsburgh who treats gambling and video-game addictions. Much of the growth is driven by smartphones, he adds: the ability to wager from a pocket makes it incredibly easy. Many young people who enter treatment show problems that began in their early teens and escalated over several years.
Freudenberg believes the removal of physical barriers — no driving to a casino, no ID checks, no cash handling — has made gambling far more accessible to children. After several stints in rehabilitation, her son has returned to college. Freudenberg helped start a support group for parents of teen gamblers, and enrollment keeps growing. She warns the situation is worsening: “The tsunami is on the horizon,” she says. “And it’s gonna be really, really bad.”