In the past, before the internet, you had to go to special places, such as a casino, arcade or snack bar with a slot machine to gamble. These locations were not open all day. As a result, you could not gamble 24 hours a day. You also had to show that you were over 18 years old. There was also more social control: other people saw it if you gambled (too) much.
Nowadays, you can gamble at any time via the internet (for example, on your phone). An account is created in no time and then you can immediately bet on sports matches, gamble on online slot machines or play poker with people from all over the world. Just because it is so easy and fast, it no longer feels like real gambling anymore. This can be particularly dangerous for young people: they are more likely to become addicted, build up debts or lose control of their behaviour. The threshold is low, the temptation is strong– and the consequences can be serious.
Young people sometimes give less thought to the consequences of their behaviour. Apps look like a game, but you can lose real money. Betting on (online) sports matches is just as much gambling as gambling in a casino. You can easily spend more money online than you planned. This can lead to debts or a gambling addiction. Young people sometimes feel peer pressure: they want to belong to a group. If friends go gambling, they often want to join in. Because young people are more at risk of gambling addiction, gambling advertisements must not target young people. There is also a minimum age to go into casinos and arcades.
Many young people, especially boys, like to play games. Gaming also makes gambling more normal for young people. More and more games contain small gambling elements, such as loot boxes. These are a kind of treasure chests, of which you do not know what is inside. Sometimes you can even gamble with real money in a game. In 2020, the gaming company EA Sports was fined. In the game FIFA Ultimate Team, you could buy packages with football players with real money. You do not know in advance which players you will get. The value of those players can increase and you can buy or sell them for real money. According to the Netherlands Gambling Authority, this is a form of gambling. EA Sports did not have a gambling licence and was fined because of that. These types of gambling elements can teach young people, without them realising it, that gambling is normal and harmless, while it involves major risks.
