Year 11 student, Tom Gordon, found the study unit on kids and gambling really interesting.
“I saw how gambling really affects kids—there’s even a phone app that is supposedly a ‘game’, but really it’s just teaching kids to gamble—all the flashing lights just add to the attraction.”
Here is Tom’s piece…
The Facts
- Young people no longer just experience gambling at a distance.
- Eight in 10 teenagers have participated in some form of gambling.
- On average, one teen in every high school class has an issue with gambling.
Gambling is increasingly a part of everyday life and our students and younger people are seeing it more often, in sports, advertising, online gaming, social media and people around them every day.
Anyone with a smartphone or tablet can gamble, even if they are underage.
This makes teens a vulnerable target because they are underage and do not know about gambling. This could make them less likely to recognise the dangers and develop further habits in gambling.
What you can do
Talk to young people about gambling. It’ll give them a chance to understand what gambling is about so they can make better choices for the future. They need to know that gambling can become addictive and that in just one bet, it is possible to lose a large amount of money. Even if they experience small wins, the betting company always comes out in front.
