Online gambling among young people is rapidly increasing, and warning signs of gambling addiction often go unnoticed by families and schools.

Dr. Jeffrey Derevensky has been studying young people and gambling for 35 years. He began by examining the connection between Nintendo gaming and gambling. On Wednesday, March 11, he’s presenting a virtual workshop for Drug Free Lee on the gaming and gambling connection, behavioral red flags and prevention strategies, among other related topics.

"It's becoming more and more of a problem," Derevensky said. "The interesting thing about gambling disorders, as we currently refer to them, is that it takes a number of years to develop into a significant problem. So what we're seeing is helpline calls, not only here in the state of Florida, but nationally and internationally, have been greatly increasing, especially amongst young males."

Sports betting is a particular problem, said Derevensky, a professor emeritus from McGill University and director of the International Centre for Youth Gambling. Thirty-eight states including Florida have legalized sports betting and dollars spent keep rising. Citing statistics from the American Gaming Association, Psychology Today recently reported that sports gambling rose from less than $5 billion in 2017 to over $120 billion in 2023 —and 94 percent of those bets were placed online.

Derevensky explained why young men are at risk. "Young males are much more impulsive," he said. "They've grown up on sports. They play sports. The watch sports. They think they know everything about sports.

"It has now become a continuous activity with these micro bets, with these preferred bets, you could bet on multiple things during a game. And what we know is that young people believe that if you lose a bet, well that's not too bad, because I'll just increase my bet and I will make it back during the game."

“Chasing losses” by increasing bets is a sign of problems. There are other indicators, Derevensky said.

"It's not just about money. If you're becoming preoccupied with gambling, if you're thinking about it all the time placing your next bet, if you're lying to people who are your friends or family members about your losses, if you're too excited when you're watching a game, these are all indicators that you may be experiencing a gambling problem."

"Gambling Addiction: The Next Generation" will be held online from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 11. It's free with event registration. For more information, email info@drugfreeswfl.org