Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 125 Online gambling Young people are increasingly turning to online gambling, which is anonymous and convenient. In fact,one in ten high school students reported having gambled for money online. You don't need to gamble with money online however, and kids from a young age are learning that online gambling is a fun and harmless activity. For example, many young people bet on sporting events on sites that offer prizes to the best players.The Internet also provides free gambling sites, and many social networking sites geared to youth such asFacebook include free gambling applications. These kinds of sites train young people how to gamble, in the hope that when they get credit cards, they will be more likely to move on to sites where real money is used. In many cases these practice sites have a higher win rate than the pay sites, to more effectively encourage young gamblers. Gambling training begins very early online. For example, Neopets is an immensely popular site among Canadian preteens, where users create virtual pets and take care of them. Many of the games on the site, such as "The Neopian Lottery" and "Fruit Machine", have gambling themes inspired by casinos games. Research shows that less than 20 per cent of parents discuss gambling with their children; this issue is seen as minor, mainly because parents are generally unaware of their child's participation in these sorts of activities. Online games of chance may seem innocuous, but with the gambling industry expected to grow tenfold over the next few years, it's a good idea to start conversations with your kids at an early age about online gaming. • Discuss gambling and the risks involved: from compulsive behaviours to financial problems. GAMING • Remind your kid that there are so many gambling sites on the Internet because they make much more money than they give away to players. • Take the opportunity to teach your kids about probabilities – an Ontario study found that most youth have vague or erroneous ideas on what their chances really are. (For example, they believe they have a better chance of winning if they use random numbers instead of numbers that are in a sequence.) • Examine your own habits in this area and remember that kids model themselves after their parents more than anyone else. www.bewebaware.ca ...continued from page 123
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