Young Canadians today are growing up in a culture where gambling is legal, easily accessible – especially online – and generally presented as harmless entertainment. Approximately four to six per cent of Canadian high school students are addicted to gambling and another 10 to 14 per cent is at risk of developing an addiction -- which means that they already show signs of losing control over their gambling behaviour. [1] Young people are increasingly turning to Internet gambling, which is anonymous and convenient. A study of Montreal, Quebec high school students showed that nine per cent have gambled for money on the Internet. [2] Youth 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 and many social networking sites geared to youth, such as Facebook, include free gambling applications. There are also a number of Internet sites and apps that offer youth the option to play casino type games such as slot machines and blackjack without using money – while displaying winnings and losses in terms of dollars, These kinds of sites and applications 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. In May 2012, the Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) released a policy statement on gambling in children and adolescents. Among the CPS recommendations: • Physicians and healthcare providers should screen for gambling problems, as well as depression and suicide risk in adolescents already known to have a gambling problem. • Parents should be aware of the signs of problem gambling and monitor their children’s online activities and gambling habits. [1] Gambling problems. International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors. http://youthgambling.mcgill.ca/Gambling2/en/adolescents/adproblems.php [2] Derevensky, Gupta, and McBride, 2006. Internet Gambling Among Youth: A Preliminary Examination. http://youthgambling.mcgill.ca/en/PDF/Newsletter/Summer2006.pdf Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 59 www.mediasmarts.ca GAMBLING - OVERVIEW TALKING TO YOUTH ABOUT ONLINE GAMBLING 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 kids’ participation in these sorts of activities. Online games of chance may seem innocuous, but the Internet gambling industry is growing exponentially with more jurisdictions coming onboard – including several Canadian provinces. It's a good idea to start conversations about online gaming with young people at an early age. • Discuss gambling and the risks involved: from compulsive behaviours to financial problems. • Remind kids 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.) • Adults should examine their own habits in this area and remember that kids model themselves after the trusted adults in their lives. Resources: • Problem Gambling Institute of Ontario’s website has selfhelp tools, including a mobile app for problem gambling. • The International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University has a youth gambling website which has “myths versus facts” tip sheets and self evaluation tools.
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