There is a phenomenon that involves many more minors than you might imagine: the gambling. Italy ranks first in Europe for number of adolescents between 15 and 16 years old who have gambled at least once in the last year, with a worrying 44.8% against the 22.5% average of the Old Continent.
The data provided by the Giocoresponsabile report outline an increasingly worrying picture, with the trend growing since 2015. Why what has really changed is the modality. Don’t think of a kid who sneaks into some betting center and manages to gamble, because it is now a secondary form of enjoyment, almost obsolete. As in every other area of everyday life, young people rely on online platforms.
But shouldn’t they be controlled? Shouldn’t they ask for ID?
Sure, but if a kid wants to bet his pocket money he’ll find a trick. And easily too. As? There are various modes: accounts loaned by an adult, platforms with offshore licenses not regulated by the Italian government that do not ask for documents, VPN networks and payments with alternative methods (crypto, giftcard…).
Are there any factors that can put a child more at risk of ending up in the trap than others?
Certainly, and they are of various types. One thing that exponentially increases the risk is if one (or both) parents gamble – even just scratch cards. In this case the adolescent perceives the game as normal adult behavior. An influencing factor is certainly the economic one. If the family income is low, the boy sees gambling as a way out and a way to make money quickly. In this case it is no longer even fun that leads to addiction, but is perceived as an element that can change one’s life. Another category at high risk is that of those who have had poor financial education. In fact, if the boy does not understand the value of money, then he will not even be able to calculate how much he is really losing. A minor who falls into all of these categories has a chance eight times more likely to develop an addiction compared to a peer who plays out of boredom or for fun.
There are signs that can help the parent understand whether your child is developing (or has already developed) a gambling addiction. The most common warning signs are related to mood swings sudden (sudden euphoria, usually after a win, or irritability after a loss), isolation, frequent requests for money and a decline in academic performance.
One of the most difficult aspects for a parent to metabolise is linked to the fact that the child will never say of his own free will that he is addicted to gaming. It must therefore be the parent who takes the initiative, without making the child feel as if he were in the middle of an interrogation by the secret services.
When the addiction is already well rooted in the minor, family intervention is no longer enough. Asking for help becomes the only sensible option to safeguard it. But who to turn to?
There are various possibilities: for example ai SerD – public ASL structures with ad hoc teams to combat gambling addiction – or to anonymous players – former employees have already experienced this problem first-hand – o contact the National Toll-Free Number for combating gambling (800 558822).
Like any addiction, it will be difficult to eradicate and fight, but the only way to put a stop to a worrying trend that negatively characterizes us is to try to understand the signs and help kids on a path to rebirth, step by step.
