Youth and Problem Gambling in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Youth and Problem Gambling in Australia - Essay Example Gambling is so prevalent that in 1993 alone, Australians spent 6 billion dollars, more or less, on lotteries, horse racing, gaming and other forms of gambling. Most states not only tolerate it, but profits from shares of revenues of these gambling outfits. Gambling’s wide acceptance in the Australian culture and its availability encourage youth gambling (Moore & Ohtsuka 2002, pp. 429-430). Moreover, high gaming and wagering opportunities mostly account for youth gambling in Australia. These opportunities take the form of EGMs that can be found in hotels and clubs in most states except in Western Australia, casinos, and games of chance like X-lotto, Tattslotto, Powerball, Keno, scratch-tickets and Bingo, some of which are sponsored by state governments. In addition, advances in technology open another opportunities for youth participation in gambling and wagering. These new technologies include the internet and mobile telephony. On the other hand, some events that provide gambl ing and wagering opportunities, such as such as sports bar, specifically target the youth as its niche market (South Australian Centre for Economic Studies 2003, p. 1). In 2000, a study was made on 505 Australian youths aged 15 to 17. It was found that 60% of these youth gambled periodically, with 3.5% of them characterised as problem gamblers. On the whole, the study revealed that they had a predilection towards gambling as evinced by their attitude towards gambling, intention to gamble and actual participation. A positive attitude towards gambling was influenced by family, society and peers whilst frequent gambling was associated with parental and peer gambling. It was also revealed that youths whose parents taught them the value of money (budgeting and... In Australia, gambling is a popular and accepted form of pastime and is considered well-entrenched in the Australian culture. Gambling is so prevalent that in 1993 alone, Australians spent 6 billion dollars, more or less, on lotteries, horse racing, gaming and other forms of gambling. Most states not only tolerate it, but profits from shares of revenues of these gambling outfits. Gambling’s wide acceptance in the Australian culture and its availability encourage youth gambling. Moreover, high gaming and wagering opportunities mostly account for youth gambling in Australia.On the other hand, some events that provide gambling and wagering opportunities, such as such as sports bar, specifically target the youth as its niche market. Gambling is well-entrenched in the Australian culture, but gambling really flourished in the 1990s with the introduction of modern EGMs and the proliferation of huge casinos all over the country. Gambling is now considered a growth industry in Australia bringing revenues not only to private operators but to the government as well. The downside, however, to this growth industry are the twin problems of youth and problem gambling that are now slowly emerging in the horizon. Although problem gambling affects only a negligible number of persons, its dispersive nature logically involves more persons than the problem gamblers themselves. On the other hand, youth gambling is closely linked to problem gambling because studies have indicated that most problem gamblers belong to the 18 to 30 age groups, which naturally leads one to conclude that for these people, gambling must have started at a really young age. Studies, which have pegged the crucial age at, as young as, ten, have confirmed th is theory. Youth gambling is closely linked to familial, societal and peer influences.