Don’t give children the gift of a lifelong gambling addiction this Christmas, the B.C. Lottery Corporation is warning.
The B.C. Lottery Corporation is warning parents not to include scratch tickets or other gambling-related products as holiday gifts for children.
“BCLC continues to promote healthy play and raise awareness about the risks of underage gambling, including through our annual #GiftSmart campaign,” BCLC vice-president Peter ter Weeme said in a statement issued on Wednesday. “The research continues to demonstrate that children who have early exposure to gambling experiences are much more likely to develop a gambling problem, and although it may seem like a fun stocking stuffer for kids during this time of year, we are reminding adults to only give lottery products to those aged 19 and older.”
The #GiftSmart campaign is in partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling and McGill University’s International Centre for Youth Gambling.
“Research indicates that many young people have their first gambling experience at around nine to 11 years of age, and approximately 60 per cent of high-school-aged adolescents report having gambled for money in the last year,” a statement issued by BCLC said. “Further, 10 to 14 per cent of adolescents are at risk for developing a problem with gambling, while four to six per cent of youth presently have a serious problem with gambling.”
Information on how to talk to kids about gambling and problem gaming is available online at gamesense.com.
