‘Getting addicted to it and losing a lot of money … it’s just like a hole.’ A grounded theory model of how social determinants shape adolescents’ choices to not gamble

Abstract Background Gambling abstinence when underage lowers the risk of harmful gambling in later life. However, little research has examined why many young people refrain from gambling, even though this knowledge can inform protective strategies to reduce underage gambling. This study draws on the lived experience of adolescent non-gamblers to explore how social determinants while growing up have shaped their reasons and choices to not gamble. Methods Fourteen Australian non-gamblers aged 12–17 years participated in an in-depth interview or online community. Questions explored each participant’s gambling-related experiences while growing up, including exposure to gambling, gambling attitudes and behaviours of parents and peers, gambling advertising, simulated gambling and motivations for not gambling. The analysis used adaptive grounded theory methods. Results The grounded theory model identifies several reasons for not gambling, including not being interested in gambling, being below the legal gambling age, discouragement from parent and peers, concern about gambling addiction and harm, not wanting to risk money on a low chance of winning, and moral objections. These reasons were underpinned by several social determinants, including individual, parental, peer and environmental factors that can interact to deter young people from underage gambling. Key protective factors were parental role modelling and guidance, having friendship groups who avoided gambling, as well as critical thinking, rational gambling beliefs, financial literacy and having other hobbies and interests. Conclusions The participants’ choices to not gamble emanated from multiple layers of influence. This implies that multi-layered interventions, aligned with a public health response, are needed to deter underage gambling. At the environmental level, better age-gating for monetary and simulated gambling, and less exposure of children to promotional gambling messages, may assist young people to resist these influences. Interventions that support parents to provide appropriate role modelling and guidance for their children are also important. Youth education is needed and could include cautionary tales from people with lived experience of gambling harm, and education to increase young people’s financial literacy, ability to recognise marketing tactics, awareness of the risks and harms of gambling, and how they might resist peer and other normalising gambling influences.