Although problem gambling has been primarily thought of as an adult behavior, recent research has suggested that it remains a very popular activity amongst both children and adolescents.

Studies conducted over the past decade suggest that gambling activities remain particularly attractive to today’s youth and that its popularity is on the rise amongst both children and adolescents. Prevalence studies conducted in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Europe, and in Australia all confirm the rising prevalence rates of youth involvement in both legal and illegal forms of gambling. While approximately 80% of High School students report having gambled for money during the past year, 4-8% of adolescents presently have a serious gambling problem with another 10-14% of adolescents at-risk for developing a serious gambling problem (Jacobs, 2000; National Research Council, 1999; Shaffer & Hall, 1996). Yet, for most parents and teens, gambling is viewed as an innocuous behavior with few negative consequences.

Gambling Only for Over 18s

Most sportsbooks will be very cautious when opening accounts, and also when placing bets by phone. Most of them will check if an account is being used by a minor or ask for a proof of age, but for online sports betting becomes really difficult for a Sportsbook to know if an account is being used illegally.

There is a couple of ways to prevent your children from gambling, and it’s called Parental Control Software, sure you have heard of them Net Nanny, Spy Parent, Cyber Sitter, Control Kids are just a few of them. These programs will stop theme related pages from displayed in your computer if the parental lock is activated. Please be sure to check them to keep your children safe from youth problem gambling.

The good thing about them also is that they will stop your children from viewing any inappropriate content, ranging from online gambling to adult sites.

The myths that surround online gambling are numerous and have their roots in misconceptions made about the odds and probability of winning.

If you are gambling online and want to make big money, make sure you don’t believe the 4 major gambling myths outlined below, as they will definitely cost you money.

Gambling myth 1 -Over valuing low probability high gain bets

The tendency to overvalue wagers involving a low probability of a big gain and to undervalue wagers involving a relatively high probability of a small gain.

For instance, which is the better bet for you? Playing a slot machine with million dollar payout, or playing blackjack for what appear far smaller rewards

You may have the same money to bet on each, but there is of course a reason why the slot machine has such a big payout compared to blackjack, the odds of success are low!

A player with a sound knowledge of Blackjack may not have the opportunity to make so much money, but the chances of success are far greater as the casino edge and odds of winning are far less.

Keep in mind, the reward of the bet always increases with a drop in the odds of it coming up and vice versa.

Gambling myth 2 – Misconceptions about the probability of success

A tendency to interpret the probability of success incorrectly on bets.

For example, many players view the chance of throwing a given number on a dice to be twice as large with two throws as it is with a single throw, each event is independent of another so this is totally incorrect.

Gambling myth 3 – Winning streaks follow losing streaks

The belief that after a run of successes a failure is mathematically inevitable and vice versa.

This really follows on from the point above.

A person can throw double sixes in craps ten times in a row and not violate any of the laws of probability, because each of the throws is totally independent of another.

This is the major error that many novices make.

How many players see red come up 5 times in a row on a roulette table and decide to bet more on black because of this for the next throw?

There are a lot more players who fall for this when gambling online than you may think!

Gambling myth 4 – I was close to winning

“I was close” You will hear this all time from players gambling online after they have lost.

Be it in a lottery where they missed the jackpot by a single number or on a slot machine when they missed the jackpot by a cherry.

As they were “close” many players will continue to play, as they feel they are close they can only get closer and win!

Being close however is irrelevant, when every play is totally unrelated to the previous play.

The assumption of “being close” is an irrational assumption based upon emotion and not logic

This common misconception frustrates players and is simply because they don’t understand the theory of probability.

4. Lady Luck

There is no way to predict when a good or bad run will come to an end, or when an odd or even number will come up on a roulette wheel.

If you have read the concepts we have just gone through you will understand why. Many players however still believe in luck.

Even if luck was a factor and does exist, no one can predict when it is going to arrive or disappear so it will be no help when you’re gambling online in any game of chance.

Check the odds and rely on yourself

If you want to gamble online, and you want to win, don’t rely on luck rely on the laws of probability and placing the best bets with the best odds to increase your chances of winning.

When gambling online, it is important to remember a few rules of etiquette. A person must be eighteen or over to gamble on web sites. If it is found out that a person is not over the age of eighteen, their membership will be terminated. If is discovered that a parent of a child under the age of eighteen is gambling for them, their membership will be terminated. This rule is taken very seriously. Violations of rule shows disrespect toward the web site and the other people who enjoying gambling on it. Online gambling is for entertainment purposes only. Children have other fun activities they can partake in, they do not need to play adult gambling games.

It is rude call people names at the gambling table while playing online. People visit these sites to have fun and maybe make a few bucks. Harassing players is against the rules. One’s membership to the site and any other sites the company own could be revoked. Have fun on these sites, do not cause fights that would make other players leave. People win and lose on these sites all day long, this is part of the fun.

There is never any pressure to gamble for money on most sites. If a person just wants to have fun betting with points or just a friendly bet, let them. Pressuring people to gamble is not fun for anyone. This will also cause people to leave the site and go to a less aggressive one. Playing poker for fun is fine. Many people do not feel they are good enough to play poker for money. This is why online gambling is more fun than betting at a casino or over the phone, there is no pressure to place large bets or any monetary bets at all.

It’s hard to believe, but a very small percentage of gamblers are actually able to make a decent living playing in casinos full-time. With the proliferation of online gambling, more and more people are able to pursue this “employment opportunity,” as you no longer need to live in Vegas to make this dream job a reality. Regardless of whether you are doing at as a full-time gig or not, it really is possible to make money gambling online. Like anything, knowledge is key and quite a bit of practice is required. Most likely, you won’t be able to make a living doing it, but here are some tips to help fatten your wallet.

1. If you intend to come out ahead gambling online, make sure you choose the right games. Blackjack or video poker are good ones, as the payout ratio ranges from 98 percent to 100 percent. This means that you have the best chance of winning, or at least breaking even.

2. Once you choose a game, get good at playing. Like anything, the more you practice, the better you will be. If you don’t practice, you will loose to people who do. Many sites online will allow you to play with fake money. Although the player levels at these sites will be lower than at pay sites, this will allow you to hone your skills before you risk losing your bank account. Bear in mind that you may need to alter your strategies when moving from free to pay sites.

3. Don’t quit your day job right away. Learning the ropes of gambling takes time and you will be competing with players who have been doing it much longer than you have. Take your time and build your strategy and skills over time. You need to be prepared to loose a little money before you begin winning on a regular basis.

4. Always read online gambling review sites to stay updated with all of the best new sites and up to date deals. This is a great resource and an easy way to keep up with which sites will offer you the best odds of winning. As these sites are updated often, they are also a good resource for finding out which sites to avoid.

5. Be sure that you play on a site that doesn’t frequently time you out or drop your Internet connection. It is almost impossible to make money in an online casino with an unstable connection. If you find yourself timed out repeatedly, move to a different site.

6. Download your earnings frequently when gambling online. This is a good way to protect your self against “rogue” or fraudulent online casinos. Some less-reputable sites will procrastinate paying your winnings in the hope that you will gamble them away before receiving them. If a site procrastinates in any way or won’t download your winnings, find out why immediately. If you are not satisfied with the response, contact the online gambling commission with which they are affiliated.

7. Look for gambling sites that are fun and only play the games you enjoy. Gambling is supposed to be pleasurable and if you take the fun away, you might as well get a steady-paying day job without the risks associated with gambling.