ESPAD 2024: One in Four 15- to 16-Year-Old Students in North Macedonia Has Gambled

A guerrilla action was organized in Skopje by “HERA Youth” and the “Roll the Dice!” initiative to mark International Youth Day. Through the event, the organizers warned that gambling and betting are becoming increasingly widespread and normalized among young people.

Data concerning younger age groups are considered particularly alarming. The ESPAD 2024 national survey shows that, over the past 12 months, 25 percent of 15- to 16-year-old students in North Macedonia gambled for money. The figure stands at 34 percent among boys and 16 percent among girls.

An increase was also recorded in problem gambling among students who gamble. The rate rose from 4.5 percent in 2019 to 7.6 percent in 2024. According to the initiatives, these figures should serve as a serious warning to the authorities.

“HERA Youth” emphasized that young people have easy access to casinos, betting shops, online platforms and advertisements promising “quick profits.” This comes at a time when they are facing financial insecurity, unemployment, mental health difficulties and a desire to leave the country.

According to the initiatives, the consequences of gambling are not limited to finances but should also be addressed as a public and mental health issue. The World Health Organization links gambling-related harm to debt, the breakdown of family and social relationships, depression, anxiety and a higher risk of suicide.

The young people’s demands include tighter oversight of betting shops located near schools, restrictions on gambling advertising, especially online, genuine age verification and more effective measures to protect minors. They are also calling for financial education, addiction prevention and mental health to be included in education.

“We do not want our young people to bitterly refer to the country as the ‘Republic of Gambling Macedonia,’” representatives of “HERA Youth” and the “Roll the Dice!” initiative said. They added that, in society, it is sometimes easier to find a betting shop than a cultural center.

ESPAD is an international study that monitors risky behaviors among students aged 15–16. More than 113,000 students from 37 European countries participated in the 2024 survey.