Gambling and Gaming Addiction - Why Our Kids Are Hooked!

The Challenge - Young People and Gambling 2018

Gambling Commission Research Study among 11-16 year olds in Great Britain found that:-

450,000 young people had gambled in the last week.

The number of 11-16 year olds classed as problem gamblers has increased from 25,000 in 2017 to 55,000 in 2018.

There are twice as many boys than girls.

Spending is on average ￡16.00 per week on gambling.

How are they gambling?

-       Lottery and scratch cards

-       Arcades

-       Playgrounds

-       In Apps

Gambling is more pervasive than we think in modern society.

63% of people in the UK gamble, many think they don’t:

-       It’s just the lottery

-       It’s just a raffle

-       It’s just a flutter on the Grand National

-       It’s just a game of Bingo etc.

And for most people it’s a bit of fun and recreation.

For others though, it is more and for our young people we have a bigger challenge with the world of gaming becoming gambling.

Let’s talk about gaming addiction specifically because as an organisation it’s one thing I am asked about most by concerned parents and schools.

Gaming is SO accessible for young people. From the age of about 18 months our kids know how to use our phones and tablet devices to watch programmes and play games.

Our devices have become the new baby-sitters keeping our kids ‘good’ or occupied at home, whilst shopping, at a restaurant etc.

We criticise our kids for always being on their devices yet we trained them to be on devices!

What gets Condoned is Rewarded

What gets Rewards gets Conditioned

What gets conditioned becomes a Habit

What becomes a habit becomes an Identity! And that is a problem when it is gambling or gaming!

Having trained them to use their devices, rewarded and conditioned the behaviour in, it is now a habit and a ‘go to’ for them when they are bored, upset, bullied or feel misunderstood or don’t fit in. It’s easy to escape reality and be rewarded in a fantasy world of a game.

Games put us in a state of flow. They are challenging enough to stretch us, we get lots of small wins and rewards to fire the reward centres of our brain releasing chemicals into our systems that feel good and meet certain needs in our psyche.

We become engrossed and time disappears. They tempt us to play one more time to get to that next level to get to that next reward that says ‘you did a great job!’ or, in this world you are worthy and good enough.

The game tempts us with in app purchases to give us the edge, the advantage, the status and the ‘bling’ – we can buy it versus start over i.e. instant gratification.

As a young person we want to fit in. Gaming allows us to speak the same language, have things in common, be part of the conversation about the popular game and therefore fit in with friends playing the game.

However, often that conversation becomes a competition. Who is best? Who has the most skins?

If you are not a good player it will show as you only have the basic skins.

No one wants to be seen as a poor player so I have two choices:

1)    Play longer to get better to ear skins or

2)    Spend money to get skins faster to stay in the competition with my friends

Spending money on specific skins or gamble my money on a loot box, not knowing what will be in there but it MIGHT be the big prize. A lot like the big arcade slot machines with all of the flashing lights and fanfares too.

You can see how the addiction can be easy to grow. Addicted to the need for significance (being the best or doing well) certainty (if I spend money I’ll get ‘bling’ and fit in) variety (who knows what will be in the loot box). Connection (I’ll be in with the group).

Meeting four of the six human needs at a very high level which is therefore addictive.

That’s scenario one

This is scenario two

If as a young person I feel that I don’t fit in and I feel isolated, not good enough and possibly bullied of course I’m going to withdraw from that world of pain and go to my go to – my device and my games – to my fantasy world where I am anonymous.

Not only am I anonymous but in my game world I can be whoever I want to be. I can create an avatar and become who I desire to be:

-       I can be strong and powerful

-       I can be interesting

-       I can be important

-       I can be successful

-       I can be good enough, confident and win!

Also meeting my top needs at a high level and therefore becoming addicted.

Gaming is NOT a disorder, it IS addictive. Gaming is a vehicle used to meet our needs at a high level because they are not being met elsewhere.

So what needs to happen to break the cycle of addiction OR better still, prevent it happening in the first place?

One word – several strategies!

One word – Edupowerment

Educating young people, parents, schools and further education to empower them to see what is REALLY going on and give them the skills and strategies to deal with the problem and prevent addiction going forward.

Several Strategies

1.    Has to be working with parents and education to enlighten them as to what is really going on. What causes young people to spend so much time and money on the games? What needs does it meet, what drives the behaviour and how to meet these needs with alternative activities to change behaviours?

2.    Educate young people from primary school to university about the gambling and gaming industry, their marketing strategies, the way games are deliberately designed to attract, engage and tempt, and the costs of spending a disproportionate amount of time and money gaming.

3.    Bring effective, impactful programs to young people and their families to reverse the damage to health and relationships, get to the cause of the problem and build confidence, self-worth, resilience – a sense of real identity so that the young person has a clear vision and direction for their lives in the real world.

Back on Track Teens can support you by delivering the following programs:

-       One to one coaching for young people and parents

-       Building confidence, self-worth, resilience and identity through our Discover Your Bright Spark program for primary schools or the Ignition! program for 9-16 year olds and 17-25 year olds.

-       We deliver gambling and gaming addiction awareness training that is accredited by PHSE and Ofsted for primary and secondary schools, parents and carers.

How can we help?

Let’s make some noise to help make it stop!