Insights Into Youth and Gambling

Youth gaming and gambling are rapidly evolving, with new digital platforms blurring the lines between play, risk, and addiction. This training equips treatment professionals with a clear, developmentally informed understanding of how and why young people engage in gaming and gambling and what to do when it becomes harmful. Grounded in brain science, emerging trends, and family centered care, this session offers practical tools for assessment, diagnosis, and intervention with youth and their caregivers.

Participants can expect an interactive, clinically relevant training that blends research, real-world trends, and practical application. The session will explore how brain development, motivation, and digital environments intersect, while providing concrete strategies clinicians can use immediately in practice.

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Current trends and motivations driving youth gaming and gambling
• Brain-based and behavioral mechanisms that increase addiction risk in adolescents
• Emerging digital gambling trends, including prediction markets and gaming-adjacent platforms
• Screening and diagnostic considerations for problematic gaming and gambling in minors
• Youth- and family-centered intervention strategies to reduce harm and promote healthy boundaries