Youths are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of gambling. Online gambling, where age restrictions are more difficult to enforce, can pose a greater risk of harms than offline gambling. This review summarizes the existing research on online gambling policies relevant to youths aged 25 or under and evaluates their effectiveness.
Most of the 36 studies included in this review came from Western countries. Only three studies specifically examined young people’s experiences with gambling regulation. There is a lack of policies targeted at young people, aside from age restrictions. In general, gambling policies were found to be ineffective at reducing illegal online gambling or promoting uptake of safer gambling tools. Moreover, young people are frequently exposed to gambling advertisements, including through sports sponsorship.
