Gaming and gambling are very similar activities; the gambling industry even uses these terms interchangeably. The main difference between the terms is that for gaming the outcome is achieved by skill, not chance, whereas for gambling, the opposite is true.
Gaming provides young people with an escape from reality, the chance to create a world where they can be in control. Playing games with peers is an important part of childhood development. For many young people nowadays, they play in the virtual online space, however the Gambling Commission say that gaming can be a route into betting, with close to a million young people exposed to gambling through "loot boxes" in video games or on smartphone apps.
Since September 2020, Secondary schools are required to ‘teach about the risks related to online gambling including the accumulation of debt’ as part of statutory Health Education. (PSHE)
In September 2022 the statutory guidance for schools and colleges for keeping students safe in education was updated to include gambling. This includes making students aware of risks such as online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing, and/or financial scams.
Lastly, gambling also appears in the Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) Guidance, which was updated in September 2021, under physical health and mental wellbeing for Secondary School students. The internet safety and harms section states that pupils should know the risks related to online gambling, including the accumulation of debt, and how advertising and information are targeted at them.
In a digital world, gambling is more accessible than ever, and efforts to encourage young people to gamble are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Prevalence statistics demonstrate the need to ensure all pupils, in all schools, are taught the knowledge and skills to be able to successfully negotiate these opportunities and influences.
If you would like any support/advice please email kentchft.wholeschoolhealth@nhs.net
- Ygam their aim is to raise awareness and upskill professionals through their free training. They can offer your school a Bespoke workshop at a time and date of your choice, either online or face to face.
- GamCare provide a range of services to support young people from in person workshops, digital tools and resources to online support and indirect support for professionals and parents. They also deliver interactive workshops directly to young people, providing them with the facts about gambling, in an open and non-judgemental way.
- PSHE Association have free lesson plans, tips and podcast on gambling harm prevention
- GambleAware Download free PDF resources/materials for teachers and youth workers to help young people understand more about the risks of gambling.
- Young People and Gambling 2023 Gambling Commission report produced by Ipsos on young people and their gambling behaviour, attitudes and awareness in 2023. This publication provides information about young people’s exposure to and involvement in regulated and unregulated forms of gambling, and the prevalence of problem gambling.