39% of 11-16 year olds have spent their own money on gambling ....how come?
Is it me? Please tell me it’s not just me.
I can’t be the only person appalled at the fact that Denise Coates, the owner of Bet365 has received wages for this year in excess of £265,000,000. This is an increase of £66,000,000 on the previous year[1].
This huge pay out represents an annual increase of 33% when the average cost of living rise for UK employees in 2018 is expected to be 3.1%[2]. It’s a fact the richest 10% of households in the UK hold 45% of all wealth[3], it's a stinging blow to hardworking families struggling to make ends meet.
As if that isn’t bad enough I’ve had to listen to a BBC reporter acknowledging the absurdity of this huge salary whilst suggesting it’s not all bad, after all Denise Coates “pays tax, owns a football club and gives money to charity”.
Now you may say, “Hurrah!” for Denise Coates she’s doing good with her £265,000,000 … BUT and this is a very big BUT (so big I am compelled to write it in uppercase) on the very same day the BBC are applauding Denise Coates for her good deeds a report by the Gambling Commission[4] reveals gambling participation by 11 to 16 year olds has increased in the last 12 months. Within this group of young people 55,000 are problem gamblers. This is a huge number. We should be worried.
When I first heard this news it felt astonishing to me that a child could be addicted to gambling with all the associated problems that come with it - financial ruin, broken relationships, deteriorating mental and physical health, social isolation and lives lost to suicide. I asked myself "Where does a child get the money from to gamble?". The answer is shocking.
It’s much easier for a child to gamble than you might think. As parents we are sometimes implicit in their addiction, sleepwalking towards the problem. So if, as I did, you are asking yourself "where do children get the money to gamble?" the answer is they get the money from us, their parents. It might be pocket money, it might be the password to our on-line accounts, it might be the blind eye we turn to the £5 we thought we had in our purse or wallet but however we choose to dress it up the money to feed their gambling addiction is coming from us.
The Gambling Commission report identifies the most common gambling activities are outside of regulatory control – such as bets between friends, lottery scratch cards purchased by parents and the playing of fruit machines in pubs. These things may feel innocuous, a bit of harmless fun, but they are actually sowing the seeds of misery for our young people, blighting their adult lives.
Do we really think Denise Coates ownership of a football club, the tax paid on those many, many millions of earnings and the charitable “deeds” are worth blighting the lives of 55,000 children? I am not impressed with Denise Coates. I am not impressed with the BBC today either and I am appalled to learn that young children who gambled in the last week spent an average of £16 on gambling. £16!
As parents we've got to wake up, pay attention and take action. These statistics are terrifying and it is happening despite the fact that 59% of the young people surveyed understood the dangers of gambling and 60% believed their parents would prefer them not to gamble.
I’ll be taking a much closer look at the websites and on-line gaming my kids are doing and I suggest you do the same. 6% of the young people gambled on-line using a parents’ account and many more are exposed to gambling through on-line games where they are enticed to open “loot boxes” or to try to “acquire an in-game item”.
I’ll also think much more carefully about the less obvious gambling activities I stumble in to like scratch cards and charity race nights, these activities can feel like fun and provide much needed opportunities for charities to raise funds but today I am less sure than I was yesterday about their merit, perhaps the price is just too high? I’d be interested to know what you think.
If you or someone you know needs help with problem gambling get in touch with www.gambleaware.org.uk For help with the practical problems that commonly arise from gambling like housing, money, or relationship difficulties you can get in help from Citizens Advice 03444 111444.
[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46289499
[2] http://uk.businessinsider.com/uk-pay-wages-payrise-bank-of-england-survey-2018-2
[3] https://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/scale-economic-inequality-uk
[4] https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news-action-and-statistics/news/2018/Gambling-Commission-publishes-new-report-on-children-and-gambling-trends.aspx