Think your kids have never gambled online?
Don't bet on it.
According to one researcher, teens and tweens are logging on to Web-based casinos and lottery sites in huge numbers, and the province should be doing more to stop it.
"There's a lack of general awareness that gambling can become a problem amongst teens," said Dr. Jeffrey Derevensky, co-founder of McGill University's International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems. "We tend to think of middle-aged men losing their jobs or families to gambling, but nowhere do you hear about teens."
Over the past decade, online gambling has become a multibillion-dollar business. At last count, there were more than 2,100 websites worldwide, offering everything from keno to craps.
And unlike a real casino, minors generally have unrestricted access.
At partypoker.com, one of the Web's most popular gaming destinations, kids are confronted with a single obstacle - a box that must be checked to confirm the user is at least 18.
With one click of the mouse, it's game on.
Numerous studies have indicated the rates of problem gambling are two to three times higher in adolescents compared to adults, and at least one Canadian province is taking steps to ensure kids are kept away from the virtual slots and blackjack tables.
In late May, the Nova Scotia Gaming Corp. introduced a free software program that allows parents to block gambling websites on their home computers. The downloadable program, called BetStopper, currently is available only to Nova Scotians.
"A study conducted in Nova Scotia as to the prevalence of youth gambling found teens were gambling online at three times the rate of adults," NSGC president Marie Mullally said. "Youth was really an obvious area to focus on.
"Our view is that the best time to create effective prevention is when people are younger - particularly today, when they're so exposed to the product."
So far, about 600 copies of the software have been distributed. Mullally said she hopes that number will increase as the public becomes more aware of the dangers associated with underage gambling. National studies have shown it currently ranks far down on the list of things that keep parents up at night.
Unlike Nova Scotia's lottery regulator, Loto-Québec is not permitted by law to fund prevention or education campaigns directly. Instead, it provides $23 million of its annual revenue to the province, which then distributes the funding among various groups and research entities.
mmuise@thegazette.canwest.com
Original Article : http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Teens+tweens+rolling+dice+online/1864443/story.html