Grooming Kids For Gambling Addiction

Gaming grooms teens for gambling

May 19, 2013

Jason Dowling

Teenage fans of video games that simulate gambling are more likely to convert their habits to real losses, according to new research.

A study of the gaming habits of 13 to 17-year-olds by the University of Adelaide found more than a quarter of teens have played gambling-style video games, while nearly one in 10 have played gambling games on social media, and about one in 20 had played them on mobile phones.

A smaller number, about 2 per cent, said they had tried to gamble with real money on the internet.

Where teenagers gamble online.
 

Dr Daniel King from the university's school of psychology led the research and said young people who engaged in the non-financial gambling online were three times more likely to report also gambling with money - ''you see this association between the two''.

About 40 per cent of teenagers who played online or digital gambling games reported a future intention to gamble with money, he said.

Dr King will be in Melbourne next week to speak at a summit addressing the impact of video games on young people and, in particular, the infiltration of gambling into video games and apps.

He said one of the problems with non-financial gambling games was they could give young people the wrong impression about gambling.

He said he downloaded three poker machine apps that did not require real money to play.

''I tried to lose money and it's impossible. That
is one of the concerns about these types of games - they misrepresent the odds of gambling.''

Many free gambling games have appeal for a youth audience and include advertisements for real gambling sites, and there are often no barriers to entry, Dr King said.

''There's no age verification, there is no data coming out [from the] industry on whether young people are using these apps.''

The research found males were twice as likely to play gambling games than females.

In March, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said the government would not be licensing online tournament poker or online ''in play'' sports betting before ''a nationally consistent approach to harm minimisation and consumer protection'' was agreed on.

He said a review into Australia's Interactive Gambling Act released this year ''identified concerns in relation to casino-style gambling simulations being accessed through a variety of platforms, including social media, and the potential risk that this may pose to children''.

Next week's summit in Melbourne is being organised by Manningham YMCA Youth Services as part of Gambling Awareness Week.

The youth service last year conducted a study of available research into the impact of video games on young people. It found 94 per cent of six to 15-year-olds play video games and between 3 per cent and 15 per cent could be characterised as addicted.

Study author and manager of Manningham YMCA Youth Service Steven Dupon said excessive use of video games had been linked to mental health issues, in particular depression and anxiety.

Out of the report the service launched a project that aims to provide parents and young people with information about video games, increase social interaction between gamers, increase safety in online gaming by creating a safe server that is regulated and monitored, and create opportunities for young game developers to increase their skills.

Mr Dupon stressed they were not anti-gaming; instead, they wanted to minimise any harmful effects of gaming on young people.

■ Go to videogames.org.au for registration and details on the forum and manninghamymcayouthservices .org.au for more information on the YMCA's work on video games.


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/gaming-grooms-teens-for-gambling-20130518-2jtlb.html#ixzz2Tmr8yQvP