About 25,000 children aged between 11 and 16 are problem gamblers, with many learning to bet via computer games and social media, according to a report that has prompted warnings that Britain is “sleepwalking into a future public health storm”. Almost 1% of children aged between 11 and 16, or about 25,000, are defined as problem gamblers, with a further 36,000 at risk of developing a problem. But the commission said children were increasingly being exposed to gambling in less traditional ways, such as through eSports (computer games competitions) and via social media. “It is worrying that children continue to be bombarded with adverts promoting gambling through TV, online and via social media,” said Watson. Marc Etches, the chief executive of the leading problem gambling charity, GambleAware, said Britain was “in great danger of sleepwalking into a future public health storm over gambling-related harm”.

Source: The Guardian December 12, 2017 10:16 UTC