Gambling is illegal for British Columbian youth under the age of 19 years . Although problem gambling has been primarily thought of as an adult behaviour, gambling activities appear to be particularly attractive for youth today. A McGillUniversity survey in Montreal showed that 30% of grade 7 students gambled at least once a week. In this sample, while 55% of youth were casual or recreation gamblers, 13% had gambling related problems, and 4 to 6% had a serious problem. Research also indicates that many adults with gambling problems were first exposed to gambling early in their lives – usually around the age of 10 years. Youth are most often introduced to gambling by their families.
Centre for Public Safety and Criminal Justice Research
