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Young people are being
exposed to
gambling before they turn 18
A snapshot into youth gambling in Victoria
Young people’s exposure to gambling doesn’t occur in isolation. It is influenced by wider commercial and environmental factors.
Gambling products are promoted in many ways, including advertising, how online platforms are designed, and integration with sport and digital media. These influences are often explained the commercial determinants of health, which looks at how businesses and corporate practices can shape people’s behaviours, health, and outcomes. [1, 2]
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Similar patterns are seen with products like alcohol and unhealthy foods, where advertising, easy access, and social influences can affect behaviour, especially among young people. [3]
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Research shows that young people are often exposed to a lot of gambling advertising, which can make gambling seem like a normal part of everyday life, especially when it is embedded in sport and digital media. [4]
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In this context, the visibility and accessibility of gambling products influence how young people encounter and view gambling in everyday life. This context helps explain the findings of our current research.
Our Research
Based on the evidence above, the Alliance wanted to conduct research to hear from young people. In 2026 the Alliance engaged young people aged 18 and 19 across Victoria to understand their perceptions and experiences around gambling and gambling harm, and how they believe gambling harm can be reduced for young people.
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A survey was completed first, followed by two workshops which provided an opportunity to explore the perceptions and experience of young people around gambling and gambling harm in more detail.
Our Survey
We surveyed 200 young people aged 18 and 19 from across Victoria to capture their perspectives and lived experiences before and after turning 18.
Participants were evenly represented by age, with 49% aged 18, and 51% aged 19. The sample was also balanced by gender: 48% identified as women, 51% as men, and 1% as non-binary.
Who We Heard From
Our respondents come from diverse groups of Victorian communities:
• 20% came from culturally diverse backgrounds or speak a language other than English at home
• 2% identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
• 5% identified as a person with disability
• Participants came from 45 different local government areas across the state
How the Survey Worked
To better understand how experiences change over time, we asked participants to reflect on each question in two ways:
1. Their experiences before turning 18, and
2. Their experiences now as 18- or 19-year-olds
This allowed us to show how perspectives, challenges, and opportunities evolve during this important transition into adulthood.
The graphs below provide insight into their responses
Did you gamble before and after turning 18
Did adults you are close to gamble
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What gambling activities have you or your peers participated in
What young people
told us in workshops
“Not having as many advertisements everywhere you look, like on busses and all the words I see everywhere is part of the solution”
“I think that most people understand that they lose money but don't really necessarily understand the actual impact of the gambling”
Education in schools: “We didn't get any on gambling, but we did get, like, mental health”
“It does start pretty like fun at our age, but then definitely gets worse”
“People can just do it at home, on their own, so that makes it so that makes it very accessible and easy to do”
“It was actually easier to gamble as an underage person than it is to invest in the financial markets”
“It's more so a cultural thing within our footy club. And I think every footy club is that, like, say, tonight, we have training on Thursday night, and we'll all go, and we'll all go up and have dinner, read out the teams for Saturday. But no doubt everyone will pull out their phone and go, Oh, what are you putting on this week?”
If you have experienced, or are experiencing harm from gambling and need support please reach out to:
Gambler’s Help Victoria
1800 858 858
www.gamblershelp.com.au
Kids Helpline
1800 55 1800
www.kidshelpline.com.au
Acknowledgement of Funding
This study was funded by Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth)
References
