A London addictions counsellor says there’s been an “explosion” in the number of young people seeking help for online gambling, despite many being too young to legally place bets.
April Laithwaite, a certified problem gambling counsellor with CMHA Thames Valley Addiction & Mental Health Services, said she’s seen an increase in clients between the ages of 13 and 24 over the past four years. Many of them, she said, are young boys.
“Our male youth, mostly, are creating these online accounts and using online gambling,” Laithwaite told CBC’s London Morning. “It’s quick. It’s easy. It can be relationship-building with their peers or their sports team.”
Young people are finding ways to gamble through video games, casino apps and sports betting, Laithwaite said.
