AD

The Path From Gamer to Gambler, Know the Signs and Act

The UK and Australia are some of the countries that are currently facing a growing epidemic of problem gambling. Governments across the world are now forced to recognize gambling addiction as a disease and take appropriate steps to provide treatment to both children and adults.

While governments focus on treating problem gambling addicts, they are also investing heavily to find out more about gambling disorders and see what they can do to prevent gambling addiction from developing in children and adults.

Australian’s – World Worst Gamblers

Australians have earned the reputation of being the world’s worst gamblers as they have a tendency to bet on just about everything. The two biggest draws for Aussies are sports betting and pokies.

Whether its online or off, Australians gamble more than anyone.

The government has recognized that Australian’s are spending too much money placing bets both online and offline. There are some studies which claim that gambling addiction can be genetic which could be one of the reasons why so many young Australians are also exhibiting problem gambling signs.

The bigger concern that needs to be addressed is the link between gaming and gambling. The online videogaming market in Australia is bigger than ever and is expected to continue to grow at a rapid rate in the coming years.

How Children Get Addicted

The fact that children and adolescents are getting addicted to gambling should not really come as a surprise, especially when you learn that there is a strong link between gaming and gambling.

Millions of young children in Australia are more than happy these days to spend their time on a smartphone or table playing their favourite games when compared to a decade ago when they would go outside and play sports with their friends. Young Aussies spend close to two hours a day on average playing videogames behind closed doors.

Parents are usually not concerned by this behaviour because they feel that their child is safe at home, playing a harmless videogame. However they fail to realise how these videogames operate and the kind of behaviour patterns they create in a young mind. Some of these developers tend to use in-game purchases within their games to make things more exciting for players.

Controversial Loot Boxes

Videogame developers use loot boxes to get players to make in-game purchases in order to buy a surprise box of tools, players or gadgets that will help them move to the next level. These loot boxes hide the identity of what they contain, so players are not really aware of what they are getting.

The lower the loot box value, the less likely players are going to find rewarding items. When the loot box comes with a high price, players are more likely to find high value items that will help them go to the next level or jump more than one level and gain a huge advantage in the game.

Most of these types of videogame allow young players to compete with their friends as well as with users from around the world. This allows them to interact with other players and create competition as young gamers like to outdo each other by purchasing more valuable loot boxes.

These types of videogames are creating tendencies in young gamers to develop a habit of spending hours on their smartphones and computers playing different games, buying loot boxes and hoping they get a lucky break. Researchers state that when a young person starts spending so much time on videogames, they open themselves up to gambling tendencies sooner or later.

Online casinos also encourage players to gamble by offering free bonuses that can be tricky due to the wagering requirements. Wagering requirements should be banned at online casinos as they not easily understood and give gamblers a false sense of winning.

Parents Do Not Recognise Problem Gambling Signs

Most parents down under, do not believe that their child could have a problem with gambling addiction. This is because most parents have no idea what their child is doing online. While some parents are aware that their children play videogames, they have no idea how these games operate or whether their children are using play or real money to enjoy these games.

If your child is spending an hour or two on a daily basis playing videogames, you need to have a chat with them and find out what is going on. You need to learn the names of the games they are playing and find out if they have loot boxes or in-game purchases. Take a few minutes and run a Google search on this game to see what it is all about and read some reviews.

Some parents have shared that when they found out for the first time that their child had blown away some of their weekly allowances or got themselves into debt through gaming purchases, they usually end up paying off that amount. If your child keeps asking you for extra pocket money, check where the money is going.

One of the options that parents should look into to prevent problem gambling, is to use parental control software. The software is easy to use and can be purchased online. It will let you know how much time your child is spending online and what sites they are visiting.

Options To Address Gambling Addiction

If you find out that your child is having a problem with gambling addiction or is on the verge of becoming a gambling addict, you need to get them professional help at the earliest opportunity. There are a number of different ways to go about getting help. The best way for Australians to get the help they need is to reach out to Lifeline.

The best thing that Aussie parents can do for their children is to create an environment of trust so that their child feels safe enough to come up to them and talk about what is troubling them!