The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority in Canada is paying for a campaign to educate young people about the dangers of gambling, reports the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Recently introduced at the University of Regina, and managed by the Responsible Gambling Council the campaign focuses on young men between the ages of 18 and 24, who have been identified as having a higher rate of obsessive gambling behaviour, John Kelly, the chief executive officer of the Council said.
Experts say young people who are experiencing their first taste of freedom are especially vulnerable.
“People who are 18 to 24 are the most at risk to have a gambling problem,” said Kelly. “Same as many other problems that people who are 18 to 24 can get into. So if you are 20 years old and you’re going to have a gambling problem, you are much more likely to develop it at 20 than you are at 50.”
The council’s education campaign is called “Know the Score,” and one area on which it focuses is online gambling. The global video gaming culture has made this gambling medium more attractive, and led a generation into thinking they are in control of the action, Kelly claimed.
Kelly says the goal of the “Know the Score” campaign is to help students consider all the potential costs, before they place their bets.