Gambling Workshop
Book one of our Gambling Workshops and take a positive step towards building young people’s resilience against this dangerous pathway.
Is gambling a problem for the young people in your school, organisation or institution? Are you unsure how to protect young people from gambling-related harms? Did you know that online gambling risks is specifically highlighted as a key topic in statutory guidance on PSHE provision?
For a long time, gambling has been given less priority in PSHE education. But given the ease with which young people can access gambling platforms, especially online, now is the time to urgently act to protect them. If you don’t know where to start, 2020 Dreams can help. What are Gambling-related Harms?
Gambling-related harms can affect both the individual themselves and their wider circle, extending even into the community at large. They can be divided into four inter-connected categories:
- Financial harms. Young people may become poorer as they use their earnings or allowance to fuel a gambling habit.
- Developmental harms. Preoccupation with gambling can hold young people back from social development. It can also lead to poor academic development due to stress, lack of sleep, malnutrition and other issues.
- Relationship harms. Gambling can negatively affect peer and family relationships. Gambling debts can also foster unhealthy relationships with those who want to exploit young people for crime, sex or extremist purposes. For example, an older adult could supply gambling money in return for criminal work or sexual favours.
- Harms to health. Prioritising gambling often means that young people neglect elements of their physical health such as nutrition, sleep and exercise. Gambling addiction messes with the brain’s neurochemistry, affecting emotional and mental health.
How Big is the Gambling Problem Among Young People?
Evidence has shown that schools routinely underestimate the scale of gambling amongst young people.
For example, the Gambling Commission’s Young People and Gambling Report (2019) found that:
- 11% of 11 to 16-year-olds had spent their own money on gambling in the week prior to being interviewed. This was almost double the number who had smoked a cigarette (6%).
- 2.7% were deemed to be ‘at risk’ of gambling-related harms
- 1.7% were found to have a problem with gambling
Gambling and digital access
One of the reasons we believe Gambling Workshops are vital as part of PSHE provision is the ease by which teens and even younger children can access gambling online. All they require is an internet-connected smartphone, tablet or laptop and the ability to pay for their stake. While gambling companies won’t let children create an account, young people may be able to get around age verification technology and access payment means via older teens or even adults. Once addiction takes hold, some young people may resort to crime, such as fraud or theft, to continue to gamble.
In addition, many younger children are exposed to gambling-like games and advertising, increasing the chances of them turning to gambling as they get older.
2020 Dreams Gambling Workshops
2020 Dreams Gambling Workshops are designed to give young people of all ages the understanding, knowledge and skills to protect themselves from gambling-related harms. The earlier they access this information the better, since younger children are less able to access gambling sites and the funds needed to place bets.
Our facilitators will discuss gambling using non-judgemental language. For example, they will talk about gambling-related harms rather than ‘problem gambling’ to ensure students don’t feel ashamed or distressed about their own or a family member’s gambling.
We can run workshops anywhere in the UK, and are happy to customise content to address the needs of a specific age group, cultural demographic or focus area.
Please note, that 2020Dreams Gambling Workshops do not provide treatment for gambling-related harms. Should one of our facilitators be approached by a student regarding a personal situation, they will direct them to appropriate sources of help
To book one of our gambling workshops, or to find out more, please contact the 2020 Dreams team by telephone, at 0800 471 4983, or email, at hello@2020dreams.org.uk
