Gambling Commission Research Shows 450,000 Children Are Gambling. What's Next?

In the past, gamblings were limited to casinos but now in the modern era, there are more ways to gamble than one can hardly think of. What's worse is that these methods are getting highly accessible to children day by day which should be alarming to every parent. In UK there is a huge number of children involved in gambling. Researchers have revealed that these figures are higher than those of smoking, alcohol, and drug abuse.

Telegraph UK has reported that the trend of gambling in children is overwhelming. Scratch cards and lottery tickets, though bought by parents showed children participation and interest. Betting shops and arcades have also been a source of gambling. Children use their parent's accounts to gamble online, sometimes even without their knowledge.

Children told that they were attracted towards gambling to earn extra money, some were curious, others did for sake of excitement. According to the research, children gamble through smartphone apps and by following advertisements on YouTube and Facebook.

Gambling Commission Executive Director, Tim Miller, said that it is important to raise awareness among children about the dangers associated with gambling as much as refraining them from tobacco, drugs and alcohol abuse. He also said that shooting games and toy crane games are the gamble games for children but parents must educate them so that when they grow older, that know what to keep in mind.

GamCare provides free assistance to young children in order to prevent the problems of gambling. Catherine Sweet, GamCare official elaborated that the institution help people by organizing free workshops to enlighten them on the dangers and problems gambling could create for them. There are also trained professionals to guide young children by using screen tools and referrals to help youngsters who are gambling or are likely to engage in such activity.