Youth gambling on the verge of becoming public health issue in the UK

The latest study published by Cardiff University found that the number of children involved in gambling activities is at an increasing pace. Experts urged that more must be done to tackle the risks imposed on children.

Researchers got responses from over 38,000 pupils aged between 11 and 16 years of age at 193 secondary schools in Wales.

Among the key findings is that two-fifths of 11- to 16-year-olds have gambled in the past year and that fruit machines were the most popular form of gambling, usually as the first form of gambling that children got involved.

Placing bets with friends in card games and scratch cards were also amongst the primary forms of gambling.

The study highlighted that the standard profile of youths who engage in gambling activities are young male from minority ethnic groups, who tend to feel left out at school.

Earlier this week, I spoke to Dr Graham Moore, the Deputy Director of the Centre for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement at Cardiff University.

Dr Moore said that gambling is somehow normalised due to the influential gambling culture established in the UK and that gambling might be emerging as a new public health issue.

He said: “More work needs to be done, with policymakers, schools, families and young people, to understand how young people’s exposure to gambling can be reduced.

“The fact that there is widespread opportunity to gamble and limited education regarding its risks means that adolescents are particularly vulnerable to its harms.”