Alarmist headlines overstate impact of gambling on young people

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Recent reports about the number of young people with gambling habits and addictions in the UK have served to overstate the extent of the problem, according to the Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT).

The claim follows the publication of a review into the incidence of gambling among younger people in the UK and other countries including the US, Australia, New Zealand and Nordic countries. Statistics from the report, published by the Gambling Commission in September 2008, showed that between ten and 14 per cent of young people are at risk of developing gambling problems, while between five and seven per cent were said to be "problem gamblers". The studies examined by the commission categorised young people as all those under the age of 18.

Following on from the publication of the report, the Daily Mail picked up on this percentage, alleging that nearly one million young people in Britain had serious problems with gambling addiction, using the upper percentile cited in the review to estimate the prevalence rates in Britain.

However, Ron Finlay, a spokesperson for RIGT, has been quick to point out that while such headline figures may seem alarming, they in fact overstate the extent of the problem.

Commenting yesterday (October 27th), he iterated the fact that the Gambling Commission's publication was a literature review and as such, contained no new primary research. So too, he pointed out that because the studies examined in the review included data on other countries - which have different gambling laws and regulations - it could not be relied upon to give an accurate picture of the problem in the UK.

Mr Finlay insisted that for those young people who feel they do have an addiction, there is a robust support network on call to provide guidance, counselling and education through a range of different channels.

He noted that one of the ways RIGT does this is by promoting nationwide educational programmes in schools through continued funding to organisations such as Tacade, a registered charity set up specifically to provide engaging information about a range of issues such as gambling, drugs, smoking and sexual health.

Meanwhile, Eileen Kinghan, marketing director of Gamcare, reminded young people that there are support services available for those who are worried about their gambling habit or a member of their family's. She explained that Gamcare offers a helpline service which is staffed by trained counsellors who can give informed advice about any issue relating to gambling, including debt worries and concerns about relationships with friends and families which have been strained by a gambling habit.

She described the helpline as the most widely available source of immediate help, adding that the service is boosted by an online service where young people can enter forums to hear how other people have coped with gambling addiction. With a focus on self-help, the online service also offers free, confidential and accessible counselling services via chatrooms, Ms Kinghan explained.

Meanwhile, young people who feel that they would like to have a more personal discussion about gambling and its effects on individuals, friends and families, she also explained that Gamcare offer face-to-face counselling at three centres in London and others throughout the rest of the UK.

For people of any age who are worried about a possible addiction, she urged them to get in touch with Gamcare.

And while Ms Kingham highlighted some of the support channels available to people of all ages who are concerned about gambling addiction, RIGT's Ron Finlay called for further research to allow support services, families and young people better understand the risks of developing such a habit.

Responding to reports that the internet has put some young people at a greater risk of developing a gambling habit, he called for a more thorough investigation of how young people play internet games.

"More research is required to understand the relative addictive qualities of different types of game. That research has not been done sufficiently yet. Anecdotally, there is a view that the internet is more addictive to adults and that they can sit up all night and play throughout the night.

"They're not restricted by the hours that other licensed operators are [limited to.] Most licensed operators have to close at certain times of day. It is not clear whether it is just the hours issue or whether it is the nature of the games themselves that is creating the risk of addiction," he said.

However, Mr Finlay also iterated the need to distinguish between the risks that internet gambling poses to adults and to young people.

"In the case of children, one would expect that they wouldn't be able to stay up all night, so that issue is put to one side slightly," he said.

Indeed, an understanding of the risks associated with gambling among parents was described as one of the three principal ways to prevent gambling addiction from arising. So too, he insisted, robust educational programmes, such as those provided by Tacade, are essential to promoting an awareness of the risks involved among young people.

Finally, Mr Finlay also called upon advertisers to adopt responsible advertising practices to reduce the likelihood of encouraging young people to develop gambling habits.

This approach, he stated, is a far more appropriate response to the existence of gambling problems among young people than are the "alarmist headlines" which were seen following the publication of the Gambling Commission report.

Amanda Edmondson, schools consultation officer at Samaritans, commented: "Problems with addiction and debt can contribute to emotional distress. Sometimes people in distress may consider suicide as way out of the situation they are in. They may also self-harm as a way of coping with that emotional distress.

"If a young person is worried about gambling or debt, Samaritans would encourage them to speak to someone they trust whether that's a friend, family member, teacher or an emotional support service like Samaritans, if they would find it easier to speak to someone anonymously. It is important to talk to someone about their problems rather bottling it up alone so that they can get some support in finding a positive way forward."
For those who want to get in touch with Gamcare, the telephone helpline is open from 8am to 12pm on 0845 6000 133.

Samaritan’s volunteers are available to listen and offer confidential, non-judgemental support 24 hours a day, seven days a week to anyone experiencing distress via phone (UK: 08457 90 90 90; ROI: 1850 60 90 90), email (Jo@Samaritans.org) or face to face (visit www.samaritans.org to find your local branch).

For those who want to get in touch with Gamcare, the telephone helpline is open from 8am to 12pm on 0845 6000 133.

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