Facts about underage gambling | How to protect your loved ones

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Learn how to protect kids from the risks that come along with underage gambling and educate yourself on the issue.

An overview of the current circumstances from the latest years

Compared to 2017, 12% more youngsters have spent their own money on some sort of gambling activity in 7 or fewer days before filling in the survey. 

Most of these bets were among friend groups, not on any authorised British wager capacities. Nonetheless, lottery tickets and fruit machines land a place in the ranking of partaken activities.

The data that we discuss in this section is based on a comprehensive 2018 survey from the UKGC, with a focal point on the gambling behaviour of children and young adolescents. Please find the link to the primary source at the end of the page. 

underage gambling

When it comes to our focus, namely online gambling games, children’s spending is scarcer.

5% of participants have gambled virtually in the previous 12 months, 1% in the last week, with 13% of contributors trying some sort of luck game online. Just 6% used the accounts of their legal guardians.

In terms of the presented variety, 31% of their undertakings were done in video game features called “loot boxes”. They are opportunities to better the game’s outcome through random prizes.

Boys are more inclined to all the options on the list than girls.

Gambling statistics

  • In terms of the risky qualifications, 1.7% of respondees are considered problem gamblers, 2.2% are in the risk zone, and 32.5% are qualified as non-problematic.
  • 26% of repliers have witnessed their guardians gamble, and only 19% of protectors are strict on the issue.

Activities with the most engagement levels

Gambling Activity Engagement level
Fruit Slots 5%
Private Bets 5%
Card Games 4%
Lottery Tickets 4%
Other Lotto Games 3%

Media influence on underage gambling: how many participants are influenced in percentages

Ads Type Influence
Television Ads 75%
Social Media Ads 63%
Third-party Site Ads 57%
Following Gambling Spots on Social Media 9%

2022 new survey statistics

The same study and survey has been repeated in 2022. It has shown a clear decrease in the percentage of 11 to 16 years old reported as problem gamblers in the UK. 

If according to the 2018 survey, 1.7% of problem gamblers were minors with ages ranging from 11 to 16 years old, in 2022, the percentage has now decreased to 0.9%.

0.9% of the 11 to 16-year-olds in the UK are the equivalent of around 35.000 children. Although the number seems rightfully worrisome, the decrease compared to past studies is a reason for celebration.

Notable novelties regarding the subject of underage gambling

There are increasingly more ways to maintain safety in the realm of online wagering. For example, a platform with many options and a user-friendly approach is the Betting and Gaming Council. Focused on the UK industry, they take decisive action by using a set of principles.

We have summarised them below after doing our research. We recommend users visit their website and check out their methods.

Strict prevention of underage gambling

They plan on investing £10 million in an educational program to explain these issues to the children through the employment of experts over four years. 

This will be done concomitant with training financial institutions, not letting accounts of underage people be used in gambling, as well as a similar approach to advertising companies.

A substantial capacity for preventing gambling addiction

In partnership with expert caregivers in the field, they will support a long-term strategy that is defined by the efficiency and sustainable therapeutic results. They are considering materialising a vision that takes five years or more.

Improved approaches for all types of marketing

This particular feature refers to a more appropriate set of advertising techniques used in sporting events, especially the ones aired live on television. These complex issues will be tackled by following a personalised code of conduct on the matter.

Giving the customers tools to know what to look for and identify the hazards in what they are exposed to while gambling is essential for an enriched future experience on their part. 

This includes better general standards on the part of the businesses, ways of blocking payments, and recognising vulnerable points in the system.

Building upon a secure environment

All the improvements that they are working on contribute to a better general background. This includes highlighting GamCare’s concepts and encouraging all businesses to create, follow, and improve employee policies.

All UKGC’s controlled partners have to invest financially in gambling research or problem gambling prevention and treatment. 

The places which receive the funds are listed on the commission’s website. Under the statements of the LCCP SR code point 3.1.1, companies must make donations while ensuring they have no affiliation with these organisations. 

These details must be correctly reported to the UKGC in the annual financial report.

Casinos are obliged to verify each user’s age

In 2019, the UKGC decided to take action to minimise the risk of underage online gambling. The result gave both new online casinos and already existing companies the obligation to verify the age of the newly registered users before allowing them to make a bet or deposit/withdraw gaming funds.

Even before 2019, top online casinos in the UK required players to complete age verifications before accessing a casino bonus or playing casino games.

Casino connoisseurs are familiar with this process, labelled KYC (Know Your Customer/Client). Consequently, gambling is only allowed after users have submitted photographs or scans of their ID.

Casinos are obliged to verify each user's age

The 2019 decision is just a remarkable point in a long strategy employed by the team of experts at the British Commission. They also offer a test drive for places that want to know how prepared they are on the subject, following the Think 21 and Think 25 policies and other guidelines. 

Brick-and-mortar establishments are also encouraged to refuse service to an adult accompanied by a child or teenager.

A health professional perspective on gambling addiction

It is an appropriate time to insert some specific information gathered from health sources.

Gambling is a thrill that may become an addiction to both adults and minors. One of the factors that may worsen this addiction is alcohol disorder. 

This disorder may accentuate the problematic wagering behaviours 23 times more than in the case of an individual with no drinking issues. 

Other notable trends are:

  1. 3-5% of gamblers are deemed problem gamblers
  2. From the latest studies cited by addicts.com, around 750,000 young individuals (meaning between 14 and to 21 years old) may be already addicted to gambling

More statistical data on gambling addiction

  1. It is 300% more likely for a person to become a gambling addict if their first contact with it was at a young age. The powerful effect easily explains that exposure has on developing intellects
  2. 40% of UK residents have seen TV ads about gambling, in one form or another, weekly or more than once every seven days.
  3. Youngsters performed underage gambling to make more money, according to 24% of the surveyed people

A KingCasinoBonus guide on underage gambling: prevention solutions

In this heftier section, we propose a list of tools for parents to use if they want to prevent their children from familiarising themselves and engaging in online gambling. 

Before we delve into each software we have deemed fit for this mission, we advise parents and guardians to read the UK Gambling Commission’s guidance, which specifies that all licensed partners are obligated to aid in prevention. Please proceed to our tips below.

Avoid picking a casino with a cartoon-like interface

Suppose parents or guardians partake in casual online gambling. In that case, they should avoid picking a website that has a colourful, brightly-themed outline.

These features may attract young children, making them believe it has something to do with video games or cartoons. 

Knowing the risk, when we review our partner’s websites, we make sure to comment on the interface or note if it is multicoloured and bright.

A tool to block websites – Net Nanny

This is a best-seller Internet filter on the market. Its capabilities are not limited to blocking virtual gambling places; instead, it can perform various tasks: block certain content, keep screen time to a set limit, block the usage of specific apps or websites, and even hinder certain phrases like curse words.

Net Nanny can be dodged with the use of VPN or Tor networks.

Considering our experience with it and the reviews we have read, we believe that the installation is straightforward on Windows and Android devices. One is a browser extension, and one is an app with different operating methods. 

For example, the mobile phone app will require access to multiple features, including the app store history and location.

A multifaceted resource – Big Deal

Big Deal is the creation of a strong organisation in the realm of online gambling, GamCare. 

As per the UKGC analysis, GamCare has a portfolio of useful products besides this blocking solution, like the help service called NetLine; they are specialised in helping young children and adults.

For a further educational resource, please consider checking out the Youth Outreach Programme, a sister project of Big Deal, with a focus on training sessions for teenagers. 

That can be done using the messenger line called Netline. Please choose a quiet place and time to have phone conversations with the Big Deal teammates.

They offer a communication gateway, via chats or phone calls, to reach out and start solving one’s gambling addiction. Concerned friends and family can educate themselves on how to help a loved one if they consider that they have an issue.

This program is based on communication, education, and uniquely crafted solutions.

Other three alternatives that we deem appropriate for tackling this problem

Since there is a rich list of solutions on the market, we have set up this subsection with honourable mentions of products that might suit our readers more than the previous ones. We are of the belief that the next picks are both useful and safe.

Kaspersky Safe Kids

This is a virtual block utensil designed to repel certain mature-rated content, gambling included, manage screen time, and even create safe filters inside ultra-used websites like YouTube. 

Both the extension and the app have integrated averages and data that give an overview of the child’s activity, and one needs just a single account to protect multiple devices.

Gamban 

This filter software focuses specifically on blocking a plethora of gambling websites and their targeted ads on third-party platforms. They always have handy promo codes and live support for their customers. 

They work with 11 banks to ensure an unbreakable block of transactions from accounts to gambling services. The banks are Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, MBNA, HSBC, Monzo, Starling, NatWest, Barclays, and Santander.

Betfilter 

With ten years of experience and guaranteed discretion, BetFilter blocks all relevant gambling material. It is an easily installable and operable soft created in partnership with Danish researchers. It performs by blocking the page contents instead of the keywords.

KingCasinoBonus Disclaimer

We are genuinely adamant about or care for children and continuously working towards a safe environment for them. That is why we do our best to keep children away from any form of gambling. 

This includes a permanent strategy to never market our products to underage persons and the result of our effort to compile this guide, including techniques, tools, and efficient tips. 

We never pick a partner not focused on avoiding underage gambling, as we are, and all our promoted places comply with the directions of the United Kingdom Gambling Commission and ASA.

The Advertising Standards Authority, also known as ASA, is a control source from the UK that concentrates on responsible and unprejudiced advertising. They base their work on intricate Advertising Code

Where to reach out if your child is already addicted to gambling

Although the current space has a lot of opportunities for prevention, there are still unfortunate times when the problem sets in. We will share with our readers the places they can visit and use if facing such an issue.

Where to reach out if your child is already addicted to gambling

Gamcare

We have discussed this organisation in one of the sections above. They are adamant about safety in the industry and have several services, mostly all dedicated to youngster care. Check out their website for more information.

GAMSTOP

This is a British service that allows the option to self-exclude all top online casinos for a period of several months to several years. It also offers specialised help, guidance, and professional assistance, thus making underage gambling instances a little easier to deal with.

GambleAware

This charity has gained expertise in educational approaches and service granting to people in need of guidance because of their gaming problems. They continually update their schemes by partnering and learning from respected institutions like NHS.

Don’t hesitate to have a compassionate conversation with your child

Addressing the topic of real money gambling with your child should be only done with care and compassion in order to obtain the best response from the minor.

Make sure to find the right moment when both you and your child feel safe and are not distracted by other significant events that may impact the outcome of the conversation. Remember to listen with patience and understanding in order to help the child open up to you.

A suggested solution from the UKGC

The commission keeps analysing what the best places to refer gamblers to are. As of late, one recent addition to the list is the site internetmatters.org. 

Their mission is to keep the Internet safe for children through the empowerment of their parents and guardians. Through their work which spans many years, they have positively affected 3 million families, and over 80% of their users feel much better after using their virtual logistic solutions. 

We agree that this organisation presents trust and has the appropriate experience to tackle underage gambling. Please check them out and keep an eye out for the UKGC updates.

A short summary of our findings and guide

Our loyal users and our new guests should know that caring for minors and allowing them to grow up in a safe space is very important to our team. 

Because of this aspect, we are constantly engaged in academic, technical, and health services to uncover innovative ways of dealing with the phenomenon. 

We hope that our outline of the affair and our aid options were helpful to readers, whether they are on a quest for prevention, a solution, or merely curious. Always stay aware and never gamble if you are a minor!

References