NSW Youth Gambling study
A qualitative study of how young people are exposed and transition to gambling.
Context
The NSW Youth Gambling Study 2022 was commissioned in response to growing concerns over youth exposure to gambling and simulated gambling in an era of rapid technological change. Alongside researchers from Central Queensland University, our objective was to understand the pathways through which young people, aged 12–17, transition from non-gambling to various forms of gambling, and how influences such as parental behaviour, peer pressure, and pervasive online advertising contribute to this process.
Approach
Qualitative data was collected in the form of almost 50 interviews and three week-long online communities, all with young people, most of whom had gambled before. The study included HREC ethics approval and working with children checks for all researchers, as well as a rigorous consent process for young people participating.
Result
Through a narrative interview approach and creative and projective exercises in the online communities, we uncovered patterns in exposure to gambling in the family environment, the increasing influence of peers and online advertising through adolescence and the impact of simulated gambling in video games that shaped young people’s opinions of gambling and their gambling behaviours.
The long-term impact of the study lies in its potential to shape safer, more sustainable gambling environments, reducing harm among youth and contributing to healthier social outcomes through informed, evidence-based interventions.
Social & Policy Area
Methods
Qualitative
Vulnerable communities (young people and gamblers)
Online communities
External Sources
Publications from this research include:
Hing, N., Lole, L., Thorne, H., Sproston, K., Hodge, N., & Rockloff, M. (2023). ‘It Doesn’t Give Off the Gambling Vibes… It Just Feels Like a Part of the Game’: Adolescents’ Experiences and Perceptions of Simulated Gambling While Growing Up. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 1-21.
Hing, N., Thorne, H., Lole, L., Sproston, K., Hodge, N., & Rockloff, M. (2024). Influences on gambling during youth: comparisons between at-risk/problem, non-problem and non-gambling adolescents in Australia. Journal of Youth Studies, 1-20.
Hing, N., Thorne, H., Lole, L., Sproston, K., Hodge, N., & Rockloff, M. (2024). ‘Getting addicted to it and losing a lot of money… it’s just like a hole.’A grounded theory model of how social determinants shape adolescents’ choices to not gamble. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 1270.
Lole, L., Hing, N., Thorne, H., Sproston, K., Hodge, N., & Rockloff, M. (2024). Let’s Be Honest: Adolescents Speak Up on How to Better Protect Young People from Gambling Harm. Journal of Applied Youth Studies, 1-18.
Note
This project was completed when operating as 3arc Social.