Worried about a child or teenager gambling?

First, work out what is happening

Try to get a clear picture before jumping straight to punishment or confrontation. Useful questions include:

• What are they spending money on: betting, casino games, skins, case-opening sites, loot boxes, trading cards or something else?
• Are they using their own account, somebody else's account or an adult's payment details?
• How much money has gone in and out, and are there debts or promises to repay anyone?
• Has it started affecting school or college, sleep, friendships, hobbies, mood or behaviour?
• Are they hiding transactions, deleting messages or becoming unusually focused on getting money?
• Are they trying to win back losses, recover the value of an item or keep buying until they get a particular skin or card?

One sign on its own does not prove a gambling problem. A pattern of secrecy, repeated spending, chasing losses or rare items and disruption to everyday life matters more than a label.

CS2 skins, case-opening sites and skin gambling

Counter-Strike skins can have real-world value and can be traded outside the game. Some third-party sites let users stake skins, open virtual cases or play casino-style games using skins, crypto or account balances.

Warning signs can include spending long periods on case-opening or skins websites, repeatedly topping up balances, selling or depositing skins to keep playing, using crypto, or becoming preoccupied with the value of an inventory rather than the game itself.

Pokemon, trading cards and rip and ship

Collecting Pokemon or other trading cards is not inherently a problem. Buying a specific card with a known price is also different from paying repeatedly for random packs or mystery products.

Rip-and-ship streams can increase the pressure to keep spending because packs are bought and opened live, rare pulls are celebrated in front of an audience and another pack is immediately available. Similar pressure can appear in box breaks, mystery packs and other live collectible sales.

Terms such as rip and ship, break, hit, chase card, pull and mystery pack are normal language in the collecting community. The words themselves are not evidence of harm. What matters is the spending pattern around them.

Talk about what has happened, not what you think they are

A conversation is more useful if it starts with facts. Tell them what you have noticed and ask them to explain what is happening. Avoid turning the first conversation into an argument about whether they are an addict, irresponsible or lying.

You can be calm without pretending the behaviour is acceptable. If money has been taken, an adult account has been used or household rules have been broken, deal with those issues clearly and separately.

Practical steps you can take now

• Remove saved payment cards from devices and change passwords or PINs that should not be shared.
• Check bank and card statements for gambling, marketplace, gaming, crypto or live-shopping payments you do not recognise.
• Look for repeated small transactions as well as one large payment. High-frequency spending can be easier to miss.
• Use device, app-store and payment controls where appropriate for their age.
• Do not give them more money to win back losses, replace lost skins or keep buying until they get a rare card.
• If they use Steam or similar marketplaces, understand whether items are being sold or transferred to fund further play.
• Keep a record of debts, disputed transactions or messages if money is owed or somebody is putting pressure on them.
• If their gambling is online, consider blocking software and bank gambling controls as additional barriers rather than relying on one tool alone.

When to get specialist help

Get help if spending is becoming difficult to stop, money is repeatedly going missing, they are borrowing or stealing, they are chasing losses or rare items, school or college is being affected, or their mood and mental health are deteriorating. You can also ask for advice simply because you are unsure what to do next.

If you are worried about their physical or mental health, the Gambling Commission recommends speaking to a GP as a starting point. Specialist gambling support is also available directly.

Services and eligibility can change. The links above were checked on 20 September 2026.