The English Gambling Education Hub (EGEH), published its first Insights Report in the wake of its first networking event dedicated to the dangers of gambling harm to young people. The original event was held in March and attracted many experts in the fields of health, education, voluntary local authority.
The hub, which encompasses GambleAware-funded organizations, such as ARA, Aquarius, Beacon Counselling Trust, Breakeven, GamCare, NECA and YGAM vowed to continue protecting the youth from harm.
During the networking event, the experts discussed how gambling harm affects young people. The EGEH members assessed the risks and confirmed that they are committed to raising awareness about the problem.
The event, furthermore, helped to introduce the EGEH and highlight the importance of collaboration to the provision of efficient educational materials to the public.
The EGEH Identified Four Main Points
The EGEH believes that tackling the issue is of extreme importance since a recent UKGC study demonstrated that a concerning 0.9% of the people aged 11 to 16 engage in problem gambling. The bad news did not stop there as the commission also noted that an additional 2.4% are at-risk customers.
During the inaugural networking event, the experts identified four main points that can contribute to solving the problem.
First of all, young people are more likely to respond to initiatives developed by other young people. As a result, collaboration with the youth will be crucial to the success of educational programs.
Furthermore, the experts agreed that gambling harms can be caused or exacerbated by other issues. As a result, organizations would need to find links between problem gambling and other risky behaviors.
In addition, safer gambling organizations should work together rather than compete with one another. By sharing resources and experience, experts can be far more efficient.
Lastly, organizations need to be mindful of the diverse communities that can experience harm and try to understand the inherent differences and similarities between them. Efficiently connecting with various groups is at the heart of EGEH’s mission.
The hub will continue its efforts to provide free and reliable educational materials for problem gambling, helping people across the UK get their habits under control. The EGEH members will, in the meantime, continue exploring ways to connect with young people and protect them from harm.
The hub will continue working with other organizations in the sector to make sure that progress is being made.