Teenagers in Europe are gambling more than ever — and they’re doing it online. According to findings in the new ESPAD (European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs) survey sharp rises in gambling among 15–16-year-olds were identified, even as other risky behaviours like smoking and drinking decline. The trend is especially strong among girls, raising fresh concerns for prevention.

  • Teen online gambling Europe rates jumped from 8% in 2019 to 14% in 2024. Girls showed the steepest increase, tripling their participation from 3% to 9%. Boys still lead in overall gambling (29% vs. 16% for girls) and are twice as likely to gamble online.

  • Harmful gambling behaviours have nearly doubled. In 2019, 4.7% of teens were identified as at-risk gamblers — that figure rose to 9% in 2024. The biggest rise in harmful gambling was observed among girls, despite boys still being more active overall.

  • Teen online gambling Europe is rising even with stricter regulation. Across the 32 countries in the trend analysis, legal limits and awareness campaigns have increased. Still, many teens continue to access gambling websites and apps with little restriction.

  • The ESPAD survey highlights changing risk patterns among teens. While traditional gambling hasn’t grown, digital access is fueling new habits. Smartphones and online platforms make gambling more accessible — and harder to monitor — than ever.

  • The survey gathered responses from 113,882 students in 37 countries. It is the eighth wave of the ESPAD project, which has tracked adolescent risky behaviour since 1995. This edition introduced more focus on mental health and digital behaviours.

  • Girls’ participation in risky behaviours is catching up fast. Their online gambling rates and harmful gambling scores rose significantly, matching trends seen in social media use and gaming. These changes reflect wider digital engagement among female teens.

  • Gambling was less commonly addressed in prevention programmes than alcohol or drug use. Around 72% of students took part in some prevention activity, but behavioural risks like gambling received limited focus. Western and Southern Europe leaned more on skill-based education, while Eastern Europe preferred information-based approaches.

  • “Despite stronger policies, online gambling among teens is growing fast — especially among girls,” ESPAD researchers warned. They stress the need for updated, gender-sensitive prevention efforts that keep pace with digital access trends.

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