Problem gambling and underage gambling continue to be a major concern among counsellors and welfare workers across the country. One counsellor is making her concerns known, warning young people about the potential dangers of gambling online. In a report by the Daily Advertiser, gambling counsellor Julie McDermott provides insight about youth gambling, especially with regards to online and mobile gaming.
She notes that gambling is more accessible than ever, as users can access casino games and betting sites from virtually anywhere nowadays. “It is just so easy to do it,” she says. “It’s very easy to spend a large amount of money because you’re not physically touching it”. Digital gambling is especially attractive to younger generations, as they spend much of their spare time on their computers, mobile phones and tablets.
Although many of apps that are available to young people are social games that do not require real money to be wagered, they have the potential to open the door to real-money gambling. As such, there is a greater need to encourage responsible gambling among young people in Australia.
McDermott recognises that the country has taken steps to help reducing problem gambling among local residents, but she argues that more could be done. One of her major concerns is eliminating the stigma that is attached to gambling, as it prevents people from seeking help before it’s almost too late. She continues: “Unfortuntely you don’t see people seeking help until well after it is quite severe.
We very much need to get in there earlier before it becomes that way. We need to communicate the message that there is no stigma and it’s not embarrassing to reach out for help”.
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