Prevalence rates of youth gambling problems: are the current rates inflated

While there is a general consensus in the literature that it is common for youth to gamble, considerable variability in the reported prevalence rates of youth problem gam-bling has been found. More recently, issues concerning the possible overestimation of these rates have been raised. Arguments underlying the proposition that problem gam-bling rates for youth are inflated are examined. It is acknowledged that more rigorous research is required, including the need for the development and refinement of cur-rent adolescent instruments and screening tools, agreement upon a gold standard cri-terion for adolescent problem gambling, and clarity of nomenclature issues. The ad-vancement of scientific knowledge concerning the underlying risk factors associated with the onset and course of youth gambling involvement and the role of effective adolescent prevention and treatment programs will require these fundamental re-search questions to be addressed. KEY WORDS: youth gambling; prevalence; measurement issues. While there have been numerous reviews examining the preva