A new report published by the UK Gambling Commission warned that around 450,000 children of age 11 to 15 engage in gambling activities every week. The Young People and Gambling Report, as the publication has been titled, also noted that about 9,000 of those surveyed had shown symptoms of problem gambling behavior.
It seems that the overall rate for gambling among 11-15-year-olds has remained flat to 16%. Gambling activities had been seen to be prevalent among boys within the above age group. A total of 21% of the boys surveyed had engaged in any kind of gambling activities. The rate stood at 11% among 11-15-year-old girls. Almost 60% of the interviewed children had said that they perceived gambling as a dangerous activity.
Slot machines, National Lottery scratchcards, and privately placed bets among friends had been listed as the most popular gambling options among members of the researched group. As noted in the report, 8% of those surveyed had gambled at betting shops, bingo parlors, arcades, and other gambling premises during the reviewed week-long period.
Around 3% of the interviewed children had spent their own money on online gambling activities; around 6% had gambled online from their parents’ accounts (with or without being permitted to do so).
The UK Gambling Commission’s report also showed that 75% of the surveyed minors had seen gambling-related advertisements on television; 63% had come across these on social media. It was recently announced that gambling TV advertising may face stricter regulations as from next year. It is believed that the above figures may further encourage the implementation of such regulations.
Commenting on the Young People and Gambling Report’s findings, Gambling Commission Executive Director Tim Miller noted that children of age 11 to 15 seem to be more prone to gambling than to drinking, taking drugs, and smoking. Mr. Miller pointed out that the country’s regulator had implemented the necessary rules to require from operators to prevent minors from gambling.
As the official added, there are still certain gambling activities in which children are not legally prohibited to engage and the regulator cannot tackle issues related to such activities. Mr. Miller advised that their parents try to talk their children out of gambling habits but approach them cautiously.
Gambling is a £13.6-billion industry in the UK, as recently reported by the Gambling Commission. This places the local market among the world’s largest. Such a spacious gambling environment certainly creates conditions for problem gambling. Over the years, the country’s gambling regulator together with other organizations have tried to tackle gambling-related harm through different initiatives.
Most recently, GambleAware, one such organization, posted its five-year strategy to fight problem gambling. Under said plan, it will look to raise £10 million per year from operators, advertisers, and professional sports clubs to fund research, education, and treatment.
According to GambleAware there are around 250,000 adults with problem gambling behavior in the UK and more than 470,000 ones who are showing problem gambling symptoms.
