Here's what I wrote for someone who previously asked about underaged gambling:

It still amazes me how many people are under-aged bettors. Don't get me wrong, you can do whatever you want with (hopefully) your money, yet I am surprised how such a large portion of this community technically shouldn't be gambling (at least by American and Canadian standards).

Throughout my academic career, the stigma behind betting was frequently entrenched in our minds, and for relatively good cause; it's addicting.

However, something I've noticed, at least within my extended peer group, is that the old forms of betting are uncommon; I rarely hear about friends going to casinos or horse tracks, other than for a 'good time.'

Sports betting, meanwhile, has become a far more developed gambling industry, and this, sadly, delved into the realm of CS:GO. By all means, it helps keep the community involved and the game itself popular. However, the dark side of this is that it is more difficult to regulate; neither Valve nor police have done anything with regards to minors gambling.

Once again, I am not in favour of arresting youths for betting skins. However, given how unregulated eSports betting is, the opportunity for addiction is rampant. Whereas casinos and lotteries are age-restricted, anyone can gamble on eSports. When most people are finally of age to gamble, they are usually:

• Old enough to realize the consequences of gambling, and therefore have more self-control

and / or

• No longer as dependent on family, so any gambling losses are their own, once again helping with self-control

Do teenagers of 13 or 15 have the mindset to control an addiction, especially something as potentially profitable as gambling? Probably not as many as we would hope, due to immaturity or arrogance.

This form of gambling can have four drastic effects:

1. The youth in question could win a lot - good for them, though they may have trouble walking away due to their previous win streaks (that's a discussion for another time, as that's more of a psychological issue).

2. They could lose a lot - and try to win it back. This mindset almost never works, and is a key problem in a gambling addiction; thinking "If I just throw in a little more money, I'll win it all back" is dangerous - if you do win it back, consider yourself lucky.

3. They could lose a lot - and simply walk away. This could be a somewhat positive outcome, as they'd learn the effects of gambling without the consequences being too harsh. However, it strongly depends on what the individual deems 'too much.'

4. They could break-even. Once again, this would be a positive outcome, as they wouldn't lose money, yet they would still experience the ups and downs of gambling.

However, the whole sports betting industry differs from the gambling enterprises of old.

Why?

To put it simply, it isn't chance. There are odds, yes, but with proper analysis, predictions become possible. If your relying on 'predictions' in a game of, say, roulette, it probably won't end up well for you.

One positive aspect of well-informed betting is that it teaches the due-diligence of research. As an engineering student, I will say that proper research is extremely important, as being able to recognize different attributes is frequently needed when writing research reports.

Overall, it is important to teach life lessons when people are younger, as they are more likely to learn from mistakes. However, the extent at which under-aged people bet is potentially dangerous, as unregulated gambling can lead to bigger - and more expensive - gambling issues.

Thanks for actually reading this. I hadn't planned on rambling, but I just felt like I had to say it, and it relates to your project.