A new study funded by the British Columbia Lottery Corp. shows that problem gambling in the province has decreased over the past seven years. The same study concluded that younger people are at a higher risk of becoming problem gamblers.
The 2014 Problem Gambling Prevalence Study, conducted by Malatest & Associates Ltd. and released at the at a responsible gambling conference hosted by the lottery, found that approximately 34,000 fewer people experienced gambling problems in 2014 than seven years earlier. The study also found that the 18-to-24-year-old age group were the least likely to gamble but the most likely to become problem gamblers.
According to the study, 62 percent of youth surveyed said they gamble in some way, but 25.7 percent of those identified themselves as either at risk or problem gamblers.
B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong used the conference to announce a plan to focus on youth while addressing the risks of problem gambling. “This plan calls for improvement to current prevention materials, and an increased awareness of problem gambling among teachers, parents, administrators and the public,” he said.
In addition to school presentations on the risks of gambling delivered to classes from 6th grade up, the plan will add customized responsible gambling messages to the B.C. online casino website, institute enhanced time and money tracking tools on the site, increase activity of advisers who answer questions about gaming, and conduct new problem gambling research among online players.
