Gambling advertisements in Canada are damaging children and the growing issue has become “ridiculous” says Dr. Shannon Charlebois.
The Canadian Medical Association is calling for strong gambling regulation when it comes to advertisements to protect children from the industry.
Charlebois, who is also CMAJ’s medical editor, was interviewed by CBC News and expressed that the overwhelming amount of ads are affecting children and that there needs to be action taken.
“What we need is prevention. Within Canada, it’s ridiculous that we allow these ads. We don’t advertise cigarettes to minors and gambling addiction can be just as harmful and destroy lives just as much as any substance.
“By definition, if we are advertising during the daylight hours until 9PM, gambling advertisements are directly targeting minors.”
Speaking on the impact of ads on young children, she cited the issues of exposure and how it affects young people as they mature and grow.
Charlebois referred to research from the University of Bristol which discovered that, on average, some form of gambling ad was shown every 13 seconds during six Stanley Cup finals games and seven NBA finals games.
It’s that volume which is affecting impressionable individuals, says Charlebois.
She said: “They’re very dangerous for children and adolescents who are biologically engineered to take risks, to value social prestige, to value having money.
“We know that young people are impressionable and they are going to listen to anything with peer prestige or celebrities over their parents. We’re seeing the quickest growth in 16-24 for problem gambling and addiction.”
With all of these concerns in place, Charlebois continued to showcase what the worst outcomes of gambling addiction are for young people.
She spoke about worrying outcomes such as substance abuse, money issues and weapons charges.
Charlebois said: “Gambling is associated with an increased substance abuse, theft as they become more desperate for money. Reaching out for money, borrowing money, and gambling and youth are associated with assault and weapon charges.”
But how does Canada’s authority look to combat this? According to the medical editor, it requires federal intervention.
“All sports betting where minors can see them until at least 9PM should be eliminated. What we need is on a federal level to regulate this.
“Bill S211 needs to be expedited to allow for a federal framework that can set standards in this country.”
