Youth Gambling Program

YMCA Youth Gambling Awareness Program

Program:

The YMCA Youth Gambling Awareness Program (YGAP) is a collaboration between the YMCA of Greater Toronto and 18 local YMCAs, consisting of 19 Youth Outreach Workers (YOW’s) across Ontario (one is located at the Peterborough YMCA.)  The Program is funded by the Ontario Government Ministry of Health and Health Promotions. In 1999, a request for proposal, sent out by the Ministry, was completed by the YMCA and accepted, resulting in the establishment of the initial Youth Gambling Project in seven YMCAs across Ontario. In 2003, the Ministry granted funding for an additional 11 sites and these were amalgamated. The YGAP received base funding from the Ministry changing its status from project to program.

Goal:

To implement a prevention and education program designed to reduce the potential harms associated with youth gambling.

Approach:

We do not make value judgments regarding gambling; rather, we see it as an activity that people may or may not engage in. We strive to remain neutral in our discussions with youth. Through harm reduction, we aim to support young people to make healthy decisions about gambling.

We Serve:

The program addresses the needs of youth ages 8 to 24 and people who influence and work with youth living in the province of Ontario. Currently in Peterborough and surrounding areas, we work with over 70 schools, camps, and other youth oriented agencies to deliver our messaging.

Outcome:

cartoon image In its first five years, the program has been delivered to more than 160,000 youth, parents, and professionals working with youth. The program has expanded in response to the proliferation of gambling activities and sites throughout the Province.

We offer:

  • Community awareness sessions
  • Referral to community and treatment services
  • Formal presentations to schools and other organizations that work with youth between the ages of 8-24 years.
  • Educational workshops for:
    • Parents
    • Teachers
    • Other professionals working with youth

Frequently Asked Questions: cartoon image


How is the Youth Gambling Awareness Program Funded?
The Ontario Ministry of Health and health promotions fund the program. This program is a free service for anyone who wishes to participate.

What are the hours of operation?
The project works on flex time. Leave a message for the Youth Outreach Worker and they will call you back. Evening information sessions and presentations are available.

Will you be targeting the same youth year after year?
Yes. The project has 4 different education and prevention presentations designed to be developmentally appropriate for 4 different age groups (8-10, 11-14, 15-18, 19-24). Ideally, we would like to present to youth as they advance through each age group, however, the presentations can be used as stand alone components. Research with prevention programs show that long-term programs show significantly greater positive change. Each youth presentation is approximately an hour in length. Professional and parent awareness sessions and presentation previews can be adapted to any available time frame.

What is gambling?
Any game of chance that involves risking money or something else of value is considered gambling. This includes scratch tickets and playing cards for money. Playing a game of cards and not wagering anything of value is not considered gambling. There is a difference between the game and the gamble. The Youth Gambling Project takes a gambling neutral approach. We don't see gambling as good or bad, simply as a choice that some people choose to engage in.

image of dice How do you know if gambling has become a problem?
There is no one answer to this question. There are several warning signs that a person can exhibit when they develop a problem with gambling. The Youth Outreach Worker can provide that information and can also refer people to treatment or counseling centers (see below). Please contact the Youth Outreach Worker in your area for more information.

Are there different categories of “problem gambling”?
There are several stages that people can go through when they are developing a problem with gambling. What we know is that youth pass through the continuum of non-gambling to problem gambling much quicker than adults. However, research in the gambling field is quite new and the specific path to problem gambling has not been defined. This is something that the field is working towards. Please contact the Youth Outreach Worker in your area for updates.

What resources are available for gambling issues in our community?
The Youth Outreach Worker has a list of resources that are available in our community to help people with gambling issues. This program works closely with all of our referral agencies. The Youth Outreach Worker will be giving you and the youth we present to, our local agency referral card. The Youth Outreach Worker in your area can also connect you with other Youth Outreach Workers located throughout the Province, as well as the Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline. The Youth Gambling Awareness Program is a prevention program and does not offer problem gambling treatment, although we would be more than happy to put you in touch with agencies which do.

What is the most common form of gambling amongst youth?
The forms of gambling that youth participate in are as varied as the types of gambling activities that adults participate in. Some examples of youth gambling are sports betting, bingo, card games, lottery's, general bets, marbles, various forms of internet gambling etc. The most cartoon image common forms of gambling among youth usually depend upon the age and gender of the youth.

What if our school/agency is not located within Peterborough can we still access the program?

Our Youth Outreach Worker also works in Peterborough county, city of Kawartha Lakes, Cobourg, Port Hope, and a few of the surrounding rural communities. If you have any further questions about YGAP and your location please do not hesitate to contact the Peterborough YMCA. The Peterborough Youth Outreach Worker does not cover the Durham region, although we can put you in contact with the person who does!

Some quick gambling Facts:

ª   Youth today are the first generation exposed to gambling that is legalized, normalized and actively promoted.

ª   Youth, both in high school and elementary schools, can get involved in gambling, betting on such activities as card games and school sports.

ª   Gambling problems tend to originate in adolescence.

ª   Youth with gambling problems were significantly more likely than other gamblers to have participated in gambling activities before the age of 10.

ª   The most popular youth gambling activity is card games (including internet card games)

ª   Approximately 80% of adolescents aged 12-17 have gambled in the last 12 months.

ª   Youth, aged 18-24, are amongst the highest risk group for developing gambling problems.

ª   4-7% of young adult’s exhibit signs of problem gambling, twice the rate of the general public.

ª   Each year, casinos identify and turn away more than 200,000 underage teen gamblers.

ª   Your odds of winning Lotto 649 are one in 14 million and your odds of winning Super 7 are one in 21 million.

ª   Your odds of being struck by lightening in your life time are 1 in 6 million. Therefore you are twice as likely to be struck by lightening as to ever win the lottery jackpot.

ª   Stats Canada reports that out of 3,055,705 adult males who gamble, 71,475 qualify as problem gamblers. Of the 3,001,750, females who gamble, 46,207 qualify as problem gamblers.

ª   Some signs of the normalization of gambling in Canada since 1985: The number of Casinos grew from 0 to 55 (over 20 of those are in Ontario) and racetracks increased from 22 to 44.

ª   joke image The YMCA Youth Gambling Awareness Program consists of education and prevention strategies to reduce the harm associated with youth gambling.

If you are interested in learning more about the Youth Gambling Awareness Program or wish to book or preview a presentation please contact:

Elizabeth Martin
Youth Outreach Worker
Youth Gambling Awareness Program
YMCA of Peterborough
Phone: (705)-748-9622 Ext 209
Elizabeth_martin@ymca.ca

Related links & resources

YMCA of greater Toronto Youth Gambling Awareness Program lead site

Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline

Kids Help Phone

Responsible Gambling Council- Friends for Friends

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