New South Wales study shows 30% of teenagers gamble
The New South Wales government is implementing new measures to prevent harmful gambling.
Australia.- A study conducted in New South Wales by the state’s Office of Responsible Gaming has found that 30 per cent of 12 to 17-year-olds have participated in gambling.
The NSW Youth Gambling Study 2020 gathered data from interviews with 2,200 minors in order to investigate their attitudes and behaviours towards gambling.
Of the third of teenagers who gambled, half of them did so in the company of a parent.
The study identified 1.5 per cent of the young people who participated as “problem gamblers” and 2.2 per cent as “at-risk gamblers.”
Director of the Office of Responsible Gambling, Natalie Wright, said: “Exposure to gambling advertising in both traditional and digital media and thinking more positively about gambling due to seeing gambling advertisements, were associated with gambling participation, intentions and problems.”
New efforts on gambling education
In order to raise awareness about gambling risks, the office is preparing resources for teachers and running an initiative with sports teams under the name “Reclaim the Game”.
Wright said: “The Reclaim the Game initiative sees the Office partner with professional sports to help provide a matchday experience free of sports betting advertising and sponsorship.”
She told local media that educating adults was crucial a crucial part of tackling underage gambling since parents were the strongest influence on youth gambling.
The Office of Responsible Gambling’s initiatives form part of the government’s wider response to minimising harm associated with problem gambling.
Last year, the New South Wales (NSW) government awarded AU$1.5m (US$1.04m) in grants to 14 projects and organisations dedicated to gambling harm prevention.
