Gambling is identified as a serious public health problem in Australia. Known as the world’s biggest losers, Australians lose hundreds of millions of dollars every month, making the annual losses upwards of billions. While a major part of the population of the country spends hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on gambling each month, a new study warns about the dangers of gambling addiction among minors.

As announced by The Guardian Australia, there’s a growing concern about gambling addiction among minors, under the age of 18. The publication released new research into gambling addiction, highlighting the dangers of early exposure of children to gambling and the devastating impact addiction brings years after.

The new research cited data from Gambling Help Online, showing that for the 2022-23 financial year, the number of young people, age 24 and under, that reached out for help, increased by 16%. The worrying data revealed that out of the 2,136 total calls for help, some 600 came from youth between the ages of 15 and 24.

Virtual Items from Videogames Can Serve as a Gateway to Gambling

One way that children can get addicted to gambling involves the popular loot boxes and skins of weapons or other customization aesthetics that are available for popular video games. Such virtual items can be traded online via video game casinos. In addition to trading, those items can be exchanged for currency that can be used for gambling activities.

The latest report told the story of Steven, a young adult who is now 24 but started gambling online when he was 10 years old. He explained that online video game casinos enable gamers to gamble with their skins or loot boxes, exchanging them for currency that can be used for gambling. Additionally, Steven revealed that gamers who lose all their items can simply buy more and continue to gamble. “It completely circumvents the 18-plus age requirement for gambling. I started gambling when I was 10 using these sites,” he said.

In Steven’s case, the underage gambling activities grew to online gambling and addiction when he was 15. At the time, he said he lost some AU$2,000. According to him, the addiction to gambling pushed him into drug use along with other mental health issues he is just beginning to resolve.

The recent report comes at a time when Australia is actively seeking to implement changes to the gambling sector. Last month, lawmakers announced the introduction of new ID laws, seeking to reduce underage gambling and curb gambling harm. Under the new regulations, users online will be required to present ID cards before they can engage in gambling.

Another change that seeks to reduce the exposure of children to gambling-like activities is the classification of gambling games and loot boxes. The initiative seeks to restrict the access of children to games with gambling-like elements, including simulated gambling and social casino games.

The post Concerns Rise over Gambling Exposure of Children in Australia appeared first on Keno Wizard.

During a public meeting in July,  The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has taken stern measures against individuals who left children unattended while they engaged in gambling activities at casinos. In a recent announcement, the board revealed that seven people have been banned from all Pennsylvania casinos due to their alleged negligence, leaving a total of nine children unattended.

Disturbing Cases of Child Neglect at Pennsylvania Casinos Lead to Bans and Criminal Charges

Shockingly, some children were left in vehicles in casino parking garages, while others were left unattended in hotel rooms. One particularly alarming case saw a male patron leave a 9-year-old child unattended in a hotel room at Mt. Airy Casino Resort for a staggering total of 7 hours and 48 minutes over a 2 ½ day period in order to gamble.

This pattern of neglectful behavior prompted the PGCB to place these individuals on the Involuntary Exclusion List, effectively banning them from all casinos in the state. The board emphasized the importance of not leaving minors unattended in such environments as it creates a potentially unsafe and dangerous situation for the children. It is also important to note that leaving minors unattended at a Pennsylvania casino can lead to criminal charges for the responsible adult, adding more gravity to the issue.

The recent incidents highlighted by the board are not isolated cases. Since the beginning of 2022 until June 2023, the board has identified a staggering 397 incidents involving adults leaving children unattended at Pennsylvania casinos, affecting a total of 633 minors. One such example was a couple that left their children in a hotel room while they were in the adjoining casino gambling. Four more people were banned in January for similar reasons. The authorities are actively working to reduce such occurrences and raise awareness of the risks involved.

Pennsylvania Casinos Face Hefty Fines for Allowing Minors on Gaming Floors

Alongside the bans, the board also imposed $67,500 in fines as part of consent agreements with several operators. Downs Racing, L.P., operator of Mohegan Pennsylvania, faced a hefty $50,000 fine for allowing individuals under the age of 21 to access the gaming floor multiple times for gambling and alcohol consumption. Rivers Casino Pittsburgh operator Holdings Acquisition, L.P., was fined $10,000 for allowing an underage individual access to the gaming floor and Rivers Casino Philadelphia operator Sugarhouse HSP Gaming, L.P., received a $7,500 fine for employing an untrained roulette dealer.

Last year the PGCB launched the “Don’t Gamble with Kids” campaign ahead of Thanksgiving, warning casino patrons not to bring their children and leave them unattended while visiting casinos. The campaign aimed to raise awareness and address the alarming number of cases where adults left their children unsupervised in casino hotel rooms or parked cars, leading to potential lifetime bans from casinos and possible criminal charges.

The post PGCB Takes Action Against Adults Leaving Children Unattended at Casinos appeared first on Keno Wizard.

The United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), released a follow-up to its 100 Children Report. According to the company, there has been a significant improvement in advertisers’ efforts to prevent online gambling ads from being displayed to children.

The ASA published the original 100 Children Report in November last year, highlighting the prominence and impact of gambling advertisements on children. The report sought to understand how often children see age-restricted content when browsing the web.

To compile the original report, the ASA observed almost a hundred children and the ads they were bombarded with over a 7-day period. Out of a total of 11,424 ads, 435 were related to age-restricted content. Some of the breaches, the ASA had concluded, were related to breaches in the advertising rules.

The Findings Were Favorable

The ASA has now undertaken a follow-up with advertisers, agencies and platforms, reporting key findings in its 100 Children Report – enforcement and engagement report. The advertising authority explored the steps taken by the advertisers that had violated the codes to prevent age-restricted ads from being displayed to children.

The ASA reported favorable findings, saying that the majority of advertisers’ and agencies’ efforts were in line with its CAP Guidance on Targeting Age-restricted Ads Online.

The ASA worked closely with companies that had previously violated the codes and found out that most of the violations were related to gambling or liquor ads. It addressed the cases and asked the advertisers to provide a written assurance that they will improve their protocols.

However, the ASA kept the anonymity of advertisers that had breached its rules during the 100 Children Report.

The regulator promised to continue pushing the boundaries of monitoring and research into online ads. The regulator promised to reflect on the results of the latest survey and use the data to drive further developments.

The full report is available on the authority’s official website.

The UK Is Adamant on Properly Regulating Ads

Speaking of gambling advertisements, the UK Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) Code and the British Code of Advertising Practice (BCAP) recently released technical updates to their rules on lottery advertising. The regulators found out that some of the policies were not explained well enough and needed to be reworded for clarity.

Earlier this month, Ladbrokes came under fire by the ASA over a tweet featuring the boxer and internet celebrity Jake Paul. The ad was deemed “irresponsible” by the regulator because of its appeal to younger customers.

The post ASA Publishes 100 Children Report Follow-Up appeared first on Keno Wizard.