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Simple Ways to Lower Your Child’s Risk of Youth Gambling

Published: February 22, 2021

You can now control settings on YouTube to block potentially triggering gambling-related ads. This can help adults who might be struggling with problem gambling, but it can also help block gambling ads targeted towards youth.

This is important because the earlier children are introduced to gambling, the more likely they are to struggle with problem gambling as adults.

The facts:

  • 6.5% of 14–21-year-olds are at risk for problem gambling.
  • Children introduced to gambling by age 12 are 4 times more likely to develop a problem with gambling.
  • Problem gambling rates among teens and young adults are 2-3 times that of adults.

According to a CalinAyre.com article, parents can adjust ad settings to limit children’s exposure to ads involving triggering categories like gambling or alcohol. The opportunity will be offered on YouTube in the US with wider deployment of other Google products in early 2021. Parents are able to change these settings at any time.

There are other ways you can limit your child’s exposure to gambling or gaming. One place to start is by having a conversation about the risks of problem gambling. Some of the activities that can put youth at risk include card games, lottery tickets, fantasy sports, or video games and apps.  

Another way to prevent problems is to offer resources and tools to lower your child’s risk of developing gambling behaviors. He/she can take the Change the Game Ohio quiz to test their knowledge of gaming and gambling.

Change the Game Ohio also offers a wide variety of time management tools to help your child set limits and become aware of their gaming activities. Click here to get a copy of the handout.

For more information on youth gambling and free resources  please visit ChangeTheGameOhio.org.

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