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- A National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and Harris Poll survey revealed that 64% of U.S. parents of minors worry their children will gamble before legal age, prompting the NCPG to launch “The Gambling Talk” youth prevention push ahead of its holiday campaigns.
- The findings arrive as a New Jersey Senate committee advances legislation reclassifying underage gambling from a disorderly persons offense to a civil violation, directing assessed fines into state compulsive gambling education and treatment programs.
A National Council on Problem Gambling/Harris Poll survey found 64% of US parents with children under 18 worry their children will gamble before reaching legal age.
The findings highlight a gap between concern and conversations about gambling risks. Among parents of children ages 6 to 17, 51% said they had discussed those risks with their children, according to RG.org’s report on the poll.
NCPG is urging parents to have “The Gambling Talk” ahead of its annual youth gambling prevention campaigns in November and December.
“Parents are concerned about their children’s exposure to gambling, which makes sense as sports betting and prediction markets become more accessible and visible,” NCPG board president Derek Longmeier said, according to RG.org.
Parents Seek Help Discussing Gambling Risks
90% of parents with children under 18 identified at least one resource that would make discussing gambling easier. The resources parents identified included:
- Information about signs of problem gambling: 50%.
- Information about youth gambling risks: 49%.
- Guidance on when to begin the conversation: 44%.
- Tips and examples for discussing gambling: 39%.
- Information about where to get help: 34%.
Concern differed between fathers and mothers. Among parents of children under 18, 74% of fathers expressed concern about underage gambling, compared with 55% of mothers. Among parents of children ages 6 to 17, 61% of fathers and 42% of mothers said they had discussed gambling risks.
The online survey ran Oct. 6–8, 2026, among 2,020 US adults, including 583 parents of children under 18. These findings measure parents’ concerns and reported conversations, not the prevalence of underage gambling.
Prevention Campaigns Approach as New Jersey Bill Advances
NCPG’s Gift Responsibly and Too Young to Bet campaigns run through November and December. Gift Responsibly addresses the risks of giving children lottery products; Too Young to Bet extends that message to other forms of gambling children may encounter.
Separately, RG.org reported that a New Jersey bill advanced from the Senate Judiciary Committee that would make underage gambling a civil offense rather than a disorderly persons offense. Under the proposal, fines would go toward compulsive gambling prevention, education and treatment programs. Committee advancement does not make the proposal law.
NCPG has also partnered with the NBA and WNBA on a responsible gaming campaign aimed at fans who use sports betting apps or trade on prediction markets.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Source: As reported by RG.
