March 17, 2022 – A series of workshops themed “Underage Gambling a fiwi business fi true” will sensitise parents about underage gambling prevention and equip them with the tools to address this issue. The workshops are presented by the Betting Gaming & Lotteries Commission (BGLC in partnership with RISE Life Management Services (RISE) and the Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS).
The first in the series of these educational sessions will be held at The Girl Guides Association of Jamaica at 2 Waterloo Road, Kingston 10 on Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at 5:30 pm.
The free educational sessions will feature expert presenters and will target community-based organisations across the island through the CVSS’ network of member agencies.
Vitus Evans, Executive Director, BGLC revealed that co-hosting the parenting workshops is part of the Commission’s strategy to build a culture of responsible gambling in Jamaica. “BGLC’s vision is for a Jamaican society in which gambling providers apply principles of responsible gaming in the delivery of their services and that problem gambling and the potential harms of gambling have a minimal negative impact.”
The organisers explained that the workshops are necessary to bring into focus the need to prevent underage gambling as increasingly children are engaged in online activities. With the COVID 19 pandemic, children are often left unsupervised. This lends itself to adolescents being exposed and attracted to gaming which is expanding with more operators introducing a wider range of gaming options that are easily accessible online.
Mrs Nadine Chambers Goss, Executive Director, RISE supports this position citing a study that revealed that children are increasingly at risk to participate in underage gambling. “The only study on gambling among Jamaican children and adolescents (2007), was that 1 in 5 Jamaican youth may have, or be at risk for developing a gambling-related issue. It cannot be business as usual regarding the prevention of underage gambling – our efforts must be intensified,” she said.
AnnMarie Kirlew Williams, Project Manager, CVSS said “the organisation is excited to partner with the BGLC and RISE on these workshops and programmes which are developed to equip parents with the tools to have effective conversations with their children about the impact of gambling and where to seek help for those affected.”
These parenting workshops are a critical complement to the school-based underage gambling prevention education and training programme as parents play the most significant role in the child’s development says the BGLC.
The programmes in schools address underage gambling prevention education and training which is delivered by RISE trainers to guidance counsellors and peer educators to equip participants with gambling prevention information and techniques.
BGLC is an independent statutory body established under the provisions of the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Act to license, regulate and monitor the local gaming industry, facilitate its growth and development and protect the public from unfair, unscrupulous and illegal activities.
The Betting Gaming and Lotteries Act states that it is illegal for anyone to entice or facilitate a child’s participation in gambling. BGLC provides 100% funding for the national programmes for gambling harm prevention and treatment and responsible gaming which are executed on its behalf by RISE.
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