Online gambling websites and smartphone apps, including the Sportsbet and William Hill apps, have become a common way for people to place bets and particularly appeal to youths, according to local gambling support professionals.

Wagga Family Support Gambling Help councilor Julie McDermott said she had noticed a sharp increase in the number of young local people being exposed to gambling through websites and mobile apps.

"There's certainly an increase in the number of youths using this new technology, because it can be done anywhere and makes gambling so accessible,” she said.

“All they need is a phone with internet access, which most of them have nowadays, and they can so easily get caught up in the gambling industry.”

Ms McDermott said the website’s easy-to-use layouts were also a trap for young people, as it often felt as though no money was being spent at all.

"This technology is utilising credit cards, so it doesn't even feel like you're using real money,” she said.

“You can bet a lot more than you initially intended without even realising.”

According to Ms McDermott, youths were potentially less well positioned to deal with the temptation of betting than older people due to their lack of experience, as well as peer pressure.

She said accessing betting technology at such a young age could, not only lead to a gambling problem in adulthood, but could negatively impact on many areas of their life.

"Gambling will effect their concentration at school or at uni and it could take away their focus on what they might want to achieve in their life,” she said.

“It has the potential to make them withdraw from their friends and family, as well as get them into financial debt, which will effect all aspect of their lives.”

Despite the growing prevalence of this betting technology, Ms McDermott said there were measures young people could take to help protect themselves against falling victim to problem gambling.

“Young people should remember to use gambling as all it was ever meant to be, and that's as a paid form of entertainment,” she said.

“It's not meant to be for anything else, like earning an income, and a win is never a guarantee, it's just a bonus.

“The gambling industry spends a lot of money trying to portray the industry in a very positive manner, which makes it seem glamorous to these young people, so they should also always keep that in mind.”

Watch the video below to see the effect of gambling on young people. To view more videos, or to receive gambling advice go to www.gamblinghelp.nsw.gov.au.