A surge in teen gambling in Australia is linked to online betting platforms, social media influencers, and easy access to accounts, with minors sometimes using false ages and hiding phones at school to gamble.

Efforts from government and schools emphasize early conversations about gambling, media literacy to counter ads, and programs like Love the Game and Be Ahead of the Game to educate students and support families.

The analysis centers on the debate over normalizing gambling among youth, the role of parental facilitation, and the need for stronger regulation and education to curb adolescent gambling.

Testimonies from former private-school students reveal early exposure to gambling, including peers sneaking phones into class and incurring significant losses, such as a $3,500 loss after graduation.

Educators and researchers identify parental influence as a strong predictor of teen gambling and urge schools to implement preventive sessions and counseling resources.

Regulatory and educational responses include ACMA actions to remove illegal gambling sites and warn influencers, along with Victorian rules from 2023 banning betting on sports where all participants are minors.

Experts highlight the ease of creating betting accounts, the proliferation of online promoters, and niche bets on school-level or local sports, with some students gambling in classrooms or at lunch.

Research from the Australia Institute shows that in 2025 over 902,000 Australians aged 12 to 19 gambled annually, including about 600,000 aged 12 to 17, underscoring the breadth of underage gambling.