In Shops, Newsagents and Online. Gambling in Young
People's Lives
Teresa Taskinen. STAKES Working Papers
25/2007
Gambling is now a popular leisure activity, including amongst
young people. According to a survey published by the Ministry of
Social Affairs and Health in early 2007, Finnish young people of
12-17 years of age are keen gamblers. Over half of the 5,000
Finnish youngsters who participated in the survey had played some
kind of game of chance during the past year, the most popular being
slot machines. In addition to traditional games, young people have
become familiar with new game types such as Internet gambling.
Internet poker inevitably reaches children and young people who
spend their leisure time on the Internet. Persons under 18 are not
allowed to participate in Internet gambling, but several studies
indicate that children and young people have managed to play these
games. Finland has the lowest age limits for gambling in Europe,
the Lotteries Act laying down the age limit as 15 years of age for
playing slot machines and 18 years of age for playing casino
games.
According to international studies, gambling has increased among
young people in the last few years. Gambling attracts boys in
particular, and young problem gamblers are mainly boys. Young
people seek excitement, company and entertainment from gambling but
are sometimes unable to consider the adverse consequences of
playing for money. Gambling may easily and unnoticeably become
problematic, including for young people. Problem gambling
represents a constant disruption to the gambler's life at, for
example, financial, social, physical or psychological level.
There is no single, clear definition of problem gambling, but it
is a multifaceted phenomenon. Harmless gambling may turn into risk
gambling and then problem gambling. With respect to young gamblers,
however, the transition to problematic gambling usually involves
excessive or problem gambling rather than an actual gambling
addiction.
International studies have shown that gambling at an early age
is connected to adult gambling addiction. Furthermore, problem
gambling is connected to other risk behaviour, such as substance
abuse, theft and truancy. Depression, poor school performance and
problems at home also increase the risk of problem gambling among
youngsters.Various research methods and sets of questions exist for
determining problem gambling, some of which are suitable for
identifying problem gambling amongst young people.
According to a survey performed by the Ministry of Social
Affairs and Health, the risk group for problem gambling includes
approximately 1.3 per cent of all persons of 12-17 years of age, or
approximately 5,000 young people.International studies show that
parents play a key role in young people's gambling behaviour.
Children often learn gambling from their parents and imitate their
gambling behaviour at an early age.
Gambling can also be seen as a process involving different
stages, including the beginning of gambling, gambling becoming
problematic, admitting to having a gambling problem and recovery
from the gambling problem. How this gambling history process
proceeds is individual to each problem gambler.Preventive work
plays a major role in the evaluation of the disadvantages of
gambling. With respect to risk and problem gambling prevention, the
perspective is broad since it involves not only the gambling policy
but also numerous players from various fields.
Another important tool in preventing the disadvantages of
gambling among young people is the supervision of gambling. Various
models and projects for preventing problem gambling among
youngsters exist throughout the world, and the related tools are
also being developed in Finland. In 2007, two new projects aiming
at preventing problem gambling among young people and funded by
Finland's Slot Machine Association (RAY), were launched in Finland.
More attention should be paid to the prevention of the
disadvantages of gambling among children and young people in
Finland, and the issue should be made part of our social
debate.Keywords: disadvantages of gambling, problem gambling, young
people, gambling games, prevention |