too young to gamble

by Matthew Barbour

too young to gamble | help and info

more problem gamblers

Gambling's turnover in the UK has soared sevenfold in recent years, from £7billion in 2001 to £50billion last year. Meanwhile, latest research from the National Council on Gambling indicates there are some 370,000 problem gamblers in the UK, with warnings that the new Gambling Act could double that number. But while many might defend the right of adults to make their own choices and be given the freedom to spend their money any way they like, few would argue that providing children with increased opportunity to gamble could be a good thing.

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According to the Salvation Army, the proportion of problem gamblers amongst adolescents in the UK could be more than three times that of adults, at 1.7% for 16-24 year-olds against 0.5% for adults 25 and over. In fact, the UK is still the only western country which still allows children, of any age, to gamble. 'The problem is that under the Gambling Act, category D fruit machines still have the label of 'amusement', and the implication of fun', explains Sue Fisher, author of Gambling and Problem Gambling among Young People in England and Wales. 'Slot machines are a mainline for addiction, presenting the perfect entry point for any young would-be gambler to get their buzz', she says. 'Add in the ease with which the internet enables people to gamble simply because they've managed to get hold of a credit or debit card, and you have a potentially huge social problem on your hands.'

more money

Last year's new law has allowed all existing casinos to put in twice as many slot machines, paying out twice as much money, with jackpots of £4,000. The new law has also abandoned the 24-hour 'cooling off' period, meaning anyone can walk in off the street to gamble on impulse. 'What's certain is that while fruit machines might seem like harmless fun to teenagers, those same children all too often graduate on to harder forms of gambling as they grow up', Fisher says. GamCare, which runs a gambling helpline, says that a third of its calls come from people whose problems relate to gambling on slot machines. In fact, Fisher estimates that as many as one in 20 children already demonstrate behaviours which would classify them as 'problem gamblers' on slot machines – behaviours including lying and stealing, disrupted relationships at home, and distracted behaviour at school.

Meanwhile, separate data from the US shows that gambling can lead to drug addiction, alcoholism and depression. Teenagers in particular are vulnerable to the addictive behaviour associated with gambling, it says, which can lead to other psychological problems. The Yale researchers found 16- and 17-year-olds had higher rates of alcohol and drug use and addiction if they gambled, while a similar trend was seen among young adults aged 18 to 29 who had been gambling since their early teens.

young people are vulnerable

Phillip Hodson, of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, explains that young people are especially vulnerable during the formative stage of their life. 'Growing up is only completed at the age of 25 – some parts of the brain do not mature until then. So it's foolish to expose people to highly addictive behaviour at this stage in their lives. It normalises their behaviour and then they are stuck with it for life.' He forecasts that more opportunity to gamble in the UK will trigger many more addicts. 'In my opinion the Government have completely misread the times', he says. 'Letting this cat out of the bag is extremely irresponsible.'

But as Gamblers' Anonymous says, any figures on teenage gambling are often merely guess-work. 'Sadly we don't see many teenage gamblers until they are nearing their twenties and are really hooked on the habit', a spokesman explains. 'At that stage the situation has usually become so serious that it is causing major problems at home or in work.'

'Often young people come to us because they have been found out. Then they tell us that they have been gambling since they were teenagers and that the compulsion has been there since youth. It is an absolutely devastating problem and it can be just as destructive in the home as any other addiction.'

no visible signs of addiction

But there is one difference which allows young gambling addicts to carry on undetected. With drug, alcohol and solvent addiction, the physical signs of the abuse are evident, symptoms that don't occur with gambling. 'Often parents will have no idea that their child is gambling because there is no visible sign', the spokesperson added. 'Of course, by that stage the young person could be addicted.'

However, while many pundits are predicting a proliferation of young gamblers as a result of the Gambling Act, Professor Peter Collins from Salford University's Centre for the Study of Gambling says there is another side to the story. 'Casinos offering high-prize gambling can actually help to reduce problem gambling', he says. 'Where gambling machines are allowed to proliferate outside regulated casinos, as in Australia, problem gambling is encouraged. By confining machines to licensed venues, gambling numbers tend to decline. Our priority should be restricting slot-machine gambling at locations that are easily accessible to children at high-street arcades and unmonitored internet gaming sites rather than licensed casinos', he says.

internet gambling

how do you recognise if you're addicted?

Anything is potentially addictive, explains Dr Mark Griffiths, Professor of Gambling Studies at Nottingham Trent University. Here are six pointers to look out for:

• Salience – the activity becomes the most important thing in the addict's life



• Mood modification – the addict uses the activity to alter mood states



• Tolerance – the addict needs higher stakes or larger hits to satisfy their compulsion



• Withdrawal – the addict suffers withdrawal symptoms



• Conflict – the activity causes conflict with the addict's lifestyle, with friends, family or even inner conflict with themselves



• Relapse – if the addict stops feeding their addiction they are prone to relapses where they can literally pick up where they left off.

What you have to remember is that excess does not mean addiction. Many addictions are part of everyday life and a person can sustain it without it being a problem. The trick is knowing when to quit.

(September 2006)

Read on for details of relevant organisations, websites and reading.