25,000 children aged 11 to 16 are hooked on web gambling sites
THE number of children classed as problem gamblers has doubled in one year.
Many youngsters are being drawn into betting via video games and social networking sites such as Facebook, the gambling watchdog warns.
It said more than 25,000 youngsters aged from 11 to 16 were so hooked that it was dramatically affecting their wellbeing.
One in eight children – around 370,000 – admitted they had staked their own money over the past week.
Tens of thousands are learning how to gamble via online sites, which let children bet on bingo and poker without using real money.
The Gambling Commission found that those who play these games were twice as likely to end up staking real money.
It raised the alarm about ‘ skins betting’ sites, where children can win items they can then swap or gamble online for cash.
The commission’s study into young people and gambling also found:
The average child gambling started at the age of 12 – with many beginning as young as seven;
The problem gambling rate for children is slightly higher than for adults;
More than two thirds have seen gambling adverts on social media – and one in ten follow betting firms online;
Youngsters are more likely to gamble than to smoke or take drugs;
Children spent an average of £10 on gambling a week, with 8 per cent claiming to have spent more than £40.
Marc Etches, chief executive of the charity GambleAware, said: ‘We are very concerned about how increasingly children are being introduced to gambling via social media, video gaming and free-toplay casino games online.
‘We are in great danger of sleepwalking into a future public health storm over gambling-related harm in Britain. Parents and family members often introduce young people to gambling, whether that is placing a bet or buying a scratchcard, but will do so without explaining the nature of gambling or the associated risks.’
The commission found that 12 per cent of children aged 11 to 16 had gambled over the past week.
But among users of web gambling-style games, the figure was 25 per cent. These children also typically started gambling properly at a younger age than those who did not.
The damning report comes just a day after former Facebook executive Chamath Palihapitiya accused the web firm of ‘ripping apart the fabric of how society works’.
Tim Miller, executive director of the Gambling Commission, said: ‘It is clear that many children’s experiences of gambling- style activities are coming from the playground, the games console or social media rather than the bookmaker, the casino or the gambling website. That’s why it is essential that we work across industries and with parents so that together we can protect children and encourage those that choose to gamble in adulthood to do so safely.’
The watchdog said that 12 per cent of youngsters had gambled in the past week – down from 16 per cent the year before. But problem gambling is on the up – at 0.9 per cent compared with 0.4 per cent in 2016. It said new technology was giving children the opportunity to gamble without protection or understanding of the risks – raising questions about their longterm impact.
About 11 per cent of the age group have played free casinostyle games accessible on Facebook or smartphone apps.
The report said: ‘Such games are not considered as gambling by law but can have many similar characteristics to games that involve real money being lost or won, and are of interest as they represent a possible route into gambling for money, particularly for young people.’
The watchdog found that 11 per cent of children took part in ‘skins’ betting, whereby online gamers bet on in-game items, such as weapons or outfits – effectively swapping them for real money.
‘This emerging phenomenon is much more common among boys (20 per cent) than among girls (3 per cent),’ the report said.
The commission said around 10 per cent of children had gambled for money properly online, many using their parents’ National Lottery accounts.
It warned: ‘Young people continue to be exposed to gambling advertising via a variety of channels, with 80 per cent having seen gambling advertisements on TV, 70 per cent on social media and 66 per cent on other websites.
‘One in ten 11 to 16 year olds follow gambling companies on social media such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.’
Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, said: ‘The rise of “skins” gambling and other forms of gambling online, or in games which encourage children to trade in cosmetic online items for cash, only serves to demonstrate that our gambling laws are woefully out of date. The next Labour government will bring in a new gambling act that ensures our gambling laws are fit for the digital age and finally tackle Britain’s hidden gambling epidemic.’
‘Sleepwalking into public health storm’