“I can beat the system.”; I always thought this to myself. “I just need to figure it out.” And then when I would win something, I’d convince myself that “I have a system. Others just gamble. But I have a system.” Only to eventually lose the winnings over the next few weeks. And then, I would go back to the “I just need to figure it out and refine my system.”
This mentality, this confidence (or overconfidence), is what the online casino industry counts on. And guess what, this mentality is prevalent in young men. It doesn’t matter how smart you are, how great your GPAs were, how you were always disciplined, and how bright of a future you think you have. Once gambling hijacks your brain, all your good qualities will turn against you.
That’s what happened to me. I was reasonably smart and had good grades. But that’s what got to me and got me hooked to gambling online.
I have been criticising gambling and casino advertising on this website for a while now. I think it is one of the major reasons why so many young men are turning to gambling and consequently becoming problem gamblers. And I wish someone would have painted a vivid picture of what it would be like if I got addicted to gambling. Maybe it would have made me stop sooner. I say maybe because I really don’t know if my arrogant self would have listened. But I owe it to the next generation of young gamblers to at least try.
In this article, I want to try to paint a picture of what happens to young men who get addicted to gambling using statistics and some expert commentaries. While these are not stories, the numbers do give you a good idea of what are your chances of becoming addicted to gambling.
1. Some students are gambling with money meant for school and food
A 2025 survey of 2,000 university students in the UK found that 17% of students who gambled used their student loan to fund gambling.
The consequences were immediate:
- 10% struggled to afford food
- 6% tried to access hardship loans
- 4% had deferred or considered dropping out of university
Source:
https://ygam.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Annual-Student-Gambling-Survey-2025_v3.pdf
2. Almost everyone loses money gambling
A massive analysis of more than 700,000 gamblers found that 96% of players lost money when gambling online.
Only about 4% consistently made money.
That statistic alone explains why gambling addiction can become financially devastating so quickly.
I know what you are thinking. “I can be that 4% who consistently makes money from gambling.” But remember that overconfidence is what the casinos are relying on.
The fact is, there are much better and safer ways to invest money and make money over the long term. Gambling takes away your ability to think long term and build wealth for yourself and your future family.
3. Young men are the group most likely to develop gambling problems
A 2024 survey found that 10% of men aged 18–30 showed signs of problem gambling behavior.
In comparison, only about 3% of the overall population showed similar risk levels.
Source:
https://www.fdu.edu/news/fdu-poll-finds-online-betting-leads-to-problems-for-young-men/
4. Problem Gamblers Are Thinking About Placing a Bet All Day and All Night Long
There isn’t a reputable study regarding this, but once gambling hijacks your brain, all you think of is betting all day and all night long.
This is what happened to me when I was in the thick of it. I was constantly trying to beat the system. I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking of which bets to place. I would think of bets in the shower, while driving, while talking to my girlfriend. It wouldn’t leave my mind.
According to a clinician on 60 minutes, young men are placing bets from their phones while watching sports, scrolling social media, or hanging out with friends. And according to clinicians, the behavior can become so constant that some gamblers are placing bets while showering or even while driving.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/young-gamblers-sports-betting-addiction-60-minutes/
5. For many young men, gambling is tied directly to sports
Among university students who gamble, online sports betting is the most common activity for male students.
In one student survey:
- 1 in 4 male student gamblers bet on sports
- Those students bet about 91 days per year on average
Source:
https://ygam.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Annual-Student-Gambling-Survey-2025_v3.pdf
6. Many young people gamble because they think they will make money
In the same student survey, 45% of student gamblers said they gambled to make money.
Among male students, that number rose to 50%.
This belief—that gambling is a way to earn money—is one of the most common misconceptions researchers see among young gamblers.
Source:
https://ygam.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Annual-Student-Gambling-Survey-2025_v3.pdf
7. Kids recognize betting brands before they can legally gamble
A study of 11- to 16-year-olds in Australia found that 81% could name at least one sports betting brand.
Even more concerning:
22.5% said they intended to gamble on sports once they turned 18.
Source:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6376397/
8. Young adults are constantly exposed to gambling advertising
During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a study of young adults aged 18–24 found that:
- 95.6% recalled ads for bet types
- 89.5% recalled ads for bonuses or inducements
- 64% recalled ads for in-play betting
Participants reported seeing 10–14 betting ads per week on social media alone.
There was a similar experience with the recent Superbowl. And I expect it to continue in all major sporting events in the future. The only thing we can do is educate ourselves of how this type of advertising affects us.
Source:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38568338/
9. Gambling problems often peak in young adulthood
Long-term research shows that gambling and gambling problems tend to increase during adolescence and peak in the twenties and thirties, especially among men.
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20499144/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7395026/
10. Gambling harm among men is far more common than most people realize
According to the World Health Organization:
- 11.9% of men globally experience some level of gambling harm
- compared with 5.5% of women
Source:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/gambling
11. Gambling Harm is linked to suicide
A population study in Victoria, Australia found that 4.2% of suicides between 2009 and 2016 were linked to gambling problems.
Imagine the pain and horror one can cause to their families and loved ones when they find out someone committed suicide because of gambling. Just know that gambling, as a path, can lead to this.
Instead of going down this path, imagine a path where you can build a secure financial future for yourself and your family. And believe me, it is possible without gambling. But if you get engrossed in this life, you will never see that other path because gambling will hijack your brain.
Source:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38223397/
A way forward
I am writing this in hopes that this article finds people before gambling addiction destroys a young person’s life. And if you are a young person reading this, know that gambling is not the only way to make money. Just a simple google search will give you a lot of safe, healthy ways to increase your wealth without sacrificing your health.
Come back to gambling when you are financially secure and you are absolutely sure you can gamble responsibly. That means not wagering more than 1% of your income. If you can’t do that, it’s time to step back and reassess how you want your future to play out.
Other relevant and important studies
There have been a lot of studies on gambling harm and gambling culture. I researched many of them for this article but didn’t include all of them in the above list. However, you can find some of the most relevant studies on gambling below to give you some more perspective.
- Men are significantly more likely than women to develop problem gambling, and the gender gap is largest in younger age groups – Source: Calado & Griffiths (2016) – Prevalence of Adolescent Problem Gambling
- Adolescents who start gambling early are significantly more likely to develop gambling problems later in adulthood – Source: Dowling et al. (2017) – Youth Gambling Risk Factors
- Online gamblers are more likely to experience gambling problems than those who only gamble offline – Source: Gainsbury et al. (2015) – Internet Gambling vs Offline Gambling
- Young men who engage in multiple forms of gambling are significantly more likely to develop gambling disorder – Source: LaPlante et al. (2011) – Multiple Gambling Activities and Risk
- People with gambling disorder frequently experience depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders at higher rates than the general population – Source: Lorains et al. (2011) – Comorbidity in Problem Gambling
- Problem gamblers are far more likely to experience financial hardship and debt than recreational gamblers – Source: The Lancet Public Health Commission on Gambling (2024)
- Young men exposed to sports betting advertising report higher intentions to gamble in the future – Source: Deans et al. (2017) – Marketing and Sports Betting Attitudes
- Gambling advertising during sports broadcasts increases brand awareness and betting intentions among adolescents – Source: Pitt et al. (2018) – Gambling Advertising Recall in Youth
- Young men often describe sports betting as an integral part of watching sports with friends – Source: McGee (2020) – Normalisation of Online Sports Gambling
- People experiencing gambling problems are significantly more likely to report suicidal thoughts than non-gamblers – Source: Wardle et al. (2015) – Gambling and Suicidal Behaviour
- Individuals with gambling disorder may face suicide risks many times higher than the general population – Source: Karlsson & Håkansson (2018) – Suicide in Gambling Disorder
- Young adults are more likely than older adults to participate in online gambling and sports betting – Source: Gambling Commission – Gambling Survey for Great Britain
- Online sports betting users show significantly higher rates of problem gambling compared with lottery-only gamblers – Source: Australian Gambling Research Centre – Gambling Activity in Australia
- Moderate-risk gamblers account for a large proportion of total gambling harm in the population – Source: Browne et al. (2016) – Distribution of Gambling Harm
- Family members of problem gamblers often experience financial stress, relationship conflict, and emotional distress – Source: Goodwin et al. (2017) – Gambling Harm to Affected Others
- Many people experiencing gambling harm do not seek professional help due to stigma and shame – Source: Hing et al. (2013) – Stigma and Help-Seeking in Gambling
- Self-exclusion programs can reduce gambling participation but many individuals eventually return to gambling – Source: Ladouceur et al. (2017) – Effectiveness of Self-Exclusion Programs
- Young men with higher impulsivity and sensation-seeking traits are significantly more likely to develop gambling problems – Source: Canale et al. (2016) – Personality Traits and Gambling
- Financial stress and borrowing money to gamble are strong predictors of severe gambling harm – Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – Gambling in Australia
- Public health estimates suggest that millions of people worldwide experience gambling-related harm, even outside clinical addiction – Source: World Health Organization – Gambling Fact Sheet
Leave a Reply