Hatching" is the sudden action of a living being to burst out after breaking the envelope that contained it. The young of some animals break free from their egg or cocoon once they have reached the maximum level of development and are ready to hatch. In the hatching phase, the silkworm breaks the cocoon in order to secrete this natural fiber. In the same way, the baby bird breaks the shell of the hatched egg with the purpose to "find a life" outside of it.

By analogy, hatching also refers to the sudden and unforeseen appearance of a disease, a social, cultural, political movement, etc. An example is the "French May '68".

Today's teenagers have an exaggerated dedication to gambling and online games. This predisposes them to incubate a gambling addiction that will eventually emerge by an unnatural hatching and never seen before (it was always thought that gambling addiction is an adult disease). Surprised parents are already beginning to be alarmed by the cases of "premature" compulsive gambling. And they are asking for answers to their questions:

What is pathological gambling and why is it reaching adolescents?

Pathological gambling is an uncontainable and persistent urge to gamble more and more, betting money, despite knowing its harmful consequences. The "need" to gamble and win back what has been lost is so strong that it takes up all the gambler's free time and part of his family and work time. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized it as a disease.

Compulsive gambling is starting at increasingly younger ages. At the age of 13, many Spanish teenagers are already gambling, despite the fact that it is illegal for minors. It can be done from an application installed on the cell phone and, therefore, without anyone knowing about it. 

The attraction of today's teenagers to sports idols, coupled with advertising, makes sports betting a favorite. Some organizations give away more than a hundred euros to teenagers to entice them to bet for the first time. And it is unlikely that they will not continue betting afterwards, whether they win or lose.

Are children who go on the Internet and social networks always at risk of becoming gambling addicts?

New technologies in themselves are neither good nor bad. What is worrying is their misuse. Many teenagers are systematically reluctant to leave the computer every time their parents ask them to do something else. In these cases there is a risk of Internet addiction, as a preliminary step to a possible addiction to paid online gambling. The humorist J. R. Mora listed the successive responses of the child to postpone what his parents ask him to do:

Table of time equivalences on the Internet

"Just a second" (average hour); "I'm just looking at the mail (45 minutes); "Just a second!" (1 hour); "I'm coming" (3 hours); "A and average I'm leaving" (Sunrise).

For adolescents, the attraction of games of chance lies in the pleasure of experiencing the uncertainty of winning or losing, of challenging luck. They are more attracted to those of award immediate. They are simply fun when there is self-control, while they are pathological when control is lost.

How do I know if my child is a problem gambler? What are the symptoms?

The most significant symptoms are listed below:

 Withdrawal syndrome when unable to connect; neglect of relationships with family and friends; concealment of amounts gambled from family members; attempts to recover gambling losses with more gambling; repeated attempts to stop gambling without success; changes in mood (nervousness, aggressiveness, anxiety, depression, thoughts of worthlessness and guilt). The low mood can push the gambler to alcoholism or drug addiction.

Can compulsive gambling be prevented and cured?

In prevention it is necessary to take care of the messages that reach the children. It is counterproductive to comment that winning the lottery or bingo would solve family problems; instead it is very convenient to talk about the best award is work and that with games of chance you always lose more than you win. 

It is also advisable to encourage good habits in the use of free time (reading, sports, etc.) so that going on the Internet is not the only resource.

Pathological gambling can be cured, but it is difficult. The recovery programs of "Gamblers Anonymous" are very effective. Also cognitive-behavioral therapy, which aims to identify the mental processes related to gambling.

The factor core topic for the cure of a pathological gambling addiction is the will of the patient to get rid of it.