A fi wi business: CVSS, BGLC, RISE host underage gambling prevention workshops

THE COUNCIL of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS), in collaboration with the Betting Gaming & Lotteries Commission (BGLC) and RISE Life Management Services (RISE), will host a series of workshops themed,’Underage Gambling a fi wi business fi true”, which are aimed at sensitising parents about underage gambling prevention and equipping them with the tools to address this issue.

The first in the series of these educational sessions was held at The Girl Guides’ Association of Jamaica at 2 Waterloo Road, Kingston 10, on Wednesday, March 23. The other workshop is set for April.

The free educational sessions featured expert presenters and targeted community-based organisations across the island through the CVSS’ network of member agencies.

CULTURE OF RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING IN JAMAICA

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 [the] problem of 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.

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 one in five 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, programmes coordinator, 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.

GAMBLING PREVENTION TECHNIQUES

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.

The 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.