Preventing Youth Gambling: Raising Awareness During Problem Gambling Awareness Month

The DVDs feature four, short, informative, independently-produced video segments with information about youth gambling tailored to the needs and interests of professionals in these two critical frontline fields. All articles are used with permission from their publishers and can be conveniently downloaded to one’s own computer. Gambling has become an increasingly normalized, accessible (thanks to the internet and liberalization of gambling regulation), and recreational activity 1. It is estimated that between 0.1 and 3.4% of the population of Europe, and between 0.1 and 5.8% of the worldwide population engage in problem gambling behavior 2. Additionally, in 2020, 64.2% of the Spanish population admitted to having gambled at least once in the last 12 months 3. This makes it extremely attractive to adolescents and young adults, with a very limited or nonexistent income.

Materials for Youth Gambling Problem Prevention

• Most of the programs involved dynamic and interactive sessions (90.6%; the only ones that did not were those carried out with college students 42,45,58), and were held in school hours and at the actual educational facility.
• Hooked City was designed to address the needs and interests of high school students.
• In general, the number of sessions comprising the analyzed programs ranged between three and six, with a duration of approximately 70 min and containing different activities.

Two reviewers (A.M.-B. and E.A.) conducted such a quality assessment of the included studies, and disagreements were resolved through discussion between the researchers and in consultation with a third author (Y.L.-H.). The quality assessment is provided in the Supplementary Materials (Tables S1 and S2) along with a link to the assessment tools and their items. In the UKGC’s 2024 report, 26% of young people have seen family members who gamble. GamCare advises parents to help their children develop a healthy understanding of gambling and talk to them while they’re young. Youth will discover how to recognize gambling risks in everyday situations, from video games to real life, and learn how to protect themselves. A systematic review of quantitative studies, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies, was conducted.

All of the information featured in these reference kits draws upon years of research and expertise in the area of youth gambling problems. Jeffrey Derevensky and Rina Gupta, co-directors of the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors, appear in both videos. Finally, it is important to note the age of the studies, such as that conducted in 1993 by Gaboury and Ladouceur 46, and their variability in terms of the interest generated by these types of study, with different periods of higher and lower numbers published (see Figure 2).

More longitudinal and evidence-based studies are required that are designed on a solid theoretical base, with recruitment for and implementation of programs in settings other than education. In addition, more studies should be conducted in Europe and Spain, particularly among young adults. There is still a great deal of work to be done, particularly with regard to prevention, which is only now beginning to gain attention.

They typically made use of debates, presentations, testimonials, and video projections, among others. In this regard, a number of studies 47,57 reported the use of audiovisual aids to be conducive to attracting the attention of younger population groups, increasing the effects of interventions and, consequently, preventing and/or reducing gambling activity. Special mention should be made of the study by Ren, Moberg, and Scuffham (2019) 43, which offered activities that involved families, an essential point for preventing and dealing with gambling-related problems.

Access Resources For Youth, Parents, and Professionals

Many other organizations, like the Gambling with Lives charity, also have their own online gambling education initiatives. For example, the charity works with Declan Cregan, who had an addiction when he was 17, to host presentations and talk to students. Meanwhile, Ygam provides programs where teachers and parents can learn about gambling and how to support young people. Responsible gambling programs for young people have had great success and significantly help reduce problem gambling among youths. Aside from educating students on problem gambling, they also provide gambling education resources to parents and professionals, ensuring children can receive proper support. Finally, they also work directly with the government when preparing new https://gameaviatorofficial.com/ legislation.

The players‘ performance is encouraged by the loss or gain of clues that are used to free Tom. Players from two teams compete against each other, in a race to answer the questions correctly. Questions require thought, logic and creativity rather than an extensive knowledge base. The element of team play introduces social interaction and cooperation within teams and a friendly element of competition between teams.

Gambling disorder in youth is an emerging public health problem, with adolescents and young adults constituting a vulnerable age group for the development of gambling-related problems. Although research has been conducted on the risk factors for gambling disorder, very few rigorous studies can be found on the efficacy of preventive interventions in young people. The aim of this study was to provide best practice recommendations for the prevention of disordered gambling in adolescents and young adults. We reviewed and synthesized the results of existing RCTs and quasi-experimental studies covering nonpharmacological prevention programs for gambling disorder in young adults and adolescents. We applied the PRISMA 2020 statement and guidelines to identify 1483 studies, of which 32 were included in the systematic review. All studies targeted the educational setting, i.e., high school and university students.

Another interesting find is that of the 26% of those who have seen family members gamble, 12% claim it helped their family earn money. Most respondents found gambling fun, but only 8% were prompted to gamble by advertisements. However, a concerning 11% took money without asking, and 3% would lie about gambling. Youth can dive into hands-on challenges that make learning fun and interactive. Youth need to understand and know their choices before facing risky situations.

The UKGC’s Executive Director, Tim Miller, commented that the responsibility for preventing underage gambling extends to parents and schools. Young people must be educated on gambling and its adverse effects while also promoting gambling education resources that can help them overcome addiction. For example, a study by Parrado-Gonzáles and León-Jariego in 2019 found that good family support can help prevent addiction, even if young people are exposed to advertisements. In 2019, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Office of Problem Gambling Services (OPGS) launched the Community Level Health Project (CLHP) to address gambling-related concerns within the casino-host community of Springfield, Massachusetts. The purpose of the CLHP was to implement a community-level plan that would identify and address a specific gambling-related health concern and outline improvement initiatives to be carried out at the community level.