Washington sees rise in youth gambling, survey finds

New 2025 Washington State Healthy Youth Survey data shows gambling participation rose among middle and high school students, prompting prevention leaders to push for tighter safeguards and more education. The trend stands out even as other youth well-being measures in Washington improved or held steady.

Why it matters: - Youth gambling is rising in Washington at a time when prevention leaders say access is expanding through sports betting, gaming platforms, cryptocurrency, prediction markets and blind boxes. - The increase raises concerns about early exposure, risky behavior and the need for stronger protections before gambling habits become more entrenched.

What happened: - The 2025 Washington State Healthy Youth Survey found that 15.3% of 12th graders, 12.7% of 10th graders and 11.7% of 8th graders reported gambling in the past year. - Gambling participation increased from 2021 and 2023 levels among 12th and 10th graders, while grade 8 gambling declined slightly. - The survey is conducted every two years with the Washington State Health Care Authority, Department of Health, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Liquor and Cannabis Board. - The survey has been conducted across Washington since 2002 and drew participation from more than 213,000 students in grades 6-12 in 2025. - The survey is voluntary and does not collect students’ names or codes that could link responses to individual students.

The details: - Washington youth mental health and substance-use indicators have remained stable or improved in recent years, but gambling data moved in the opposite direction. - Jeremy Whitaker, Problem Gambling Prevention Coordinator at the Washington Health Care Authority, said people should be alarmed by the increase and said few communities are acting on the issue. - Paulina Zyskowski, Prevention and Community Engagement Specialist at the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling, said gambling regulation cannot keep pace with gambling innovation and that young people are particularly targeted. - Prevention leaders want stronger safeguards to limit youth access to gambling platforms and features. - Leaders also want more education for youth, families and educators about emerging forms of gambling. - Prevention groups are pushing to fold gambling prevention into broader behavioral health and youth wellness work. - Early intervention for youth showing risky behavior is another priority. - The 2025 HYS also found improved mental health indicators and strong connections with supportive adults among Washington youth. - More information about the Healthy Youth Survey is available at askhys.net. - The Washington State Department of Health also published related survey information at doh.wa.gov.

Between the lines: - The data suggest Washington is seeing a youth gambling problem that is growing faster than the state’s prevention response. - The concern is not just traditional gambling. The bigger issue is the spread of gambling-like mechanics into products and platforms that teens already use. - The mix of stronger general youth well-being and weaker gambling outcomes points to a specific policy gap, not a broad decline in student health.

What's next: - Prevention leaders are likely to keep pressing for coordination across schools, families, health agencies and treatment providers. - The next pressure point is whether Washington strengthens safeguards before more youth are exposed to gambling marketing and gambling-like features. - The Healthy Youth Survey will continue to serve as a benchmark for tracking whether the trend improves in future cycles.

The bottom line: - Washington’s latest youth survey shows gambling is becoming a clearer risk for students, and prevention leaders want the state to respond before the problem grows further.