Abstract

Gambling harm can extend beyond the person who gambles, yet relatively little is known about the impacts of parental gambling on children or how these harms are identified and addressed within service systems.

This study examined the relationship between risky parental gambling and children’s physical health, mental health and educational outcomes using two major Australian national longitudinal datasets: the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) and the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. It also explored the pathways through which parental gambling may affect children, including financial hardship, parenting practices and parent–child relationships. Qualitative interviews with ACT support service providers examined how parental gambling and its impacts on children are understood, identified and addressed in practice.

Across the longitudinal analyses of LSAC and HILDA, risky parental gambling was consistently associated with poorer child physical and mental health and educational outcomes. Financial hardship emerged as an important pathway linking parental gambling with poorer outcomes, while positive parenting and strong parent–child relationships were important protective factors. Interviews with service providers indicated that gambling-related harms to children can remain largely hidden, with gambling often overshadowed or complicated by other presenting concerns. Overall, children impacted by parental gambling are rarely addressed directly within existing service responses.

Our findings highlight the need to recognise parental gambling as a child and family wellbeing issue, support earlier identification of gambling-related harm, and build on existing services to provide more integrated and family-centred responses.

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