Australian organizations reported some surprising new figures revealing that up to 80% of children aged from 13 to 17 are involved in gambling activities, often without their parents knowing of the problem.

Local welfare agencies have reported a worrying trend of increased levels of teenage gambling, saying the problem is turning into a major issue across the territory of the country, despite the fact that states such as Victoria have imposed a legal age for people to be permitted to gamble. According to community health and welfare organizations, the problem has occurred as a wake-up call not only for the parents of such teenagers but also for the entire community.

The independent non-profit community services organization Bethany Community Support Inc. revealed that its employees see the negative effects of gambling on young individuals across the Greater Geelong region literally every day. As reported by Bay 93.9, Carla Scott from the organization explained that the latest data on the issue should definitely raise a red flag among everyone related to the industry in any way.

According to Ms. Scott, the signs of problem gambling behavior could easily be missed, especially considering the fact that most people usually do not take into account the potential harm that gambling could bring into people’s lives. She said that the gambling industry had changed over the years, with electronic gaming machines and sports betting options having become easily accessible to minors. Ms. Scott further explained that online betting companies have made it even easier for teenagers to reach gambling options thanks to various smartphone applications, with them usually wagering without their parents’ knowledge and permission.

Experts have previously warned about the increasing levels of children participation in gambling across Australia. As recently reported by CasinoNewsDaily, children in Australia get unrestricted access to gambling in video games, with their number constantly growing.

A report released by Digital Australia showed that 97% of local households with children own at least one video games device, while about 60% of these households own five or more devices for playing video games. The rapid development of digital technology and social networks have contributed to the problem, as online gambling became easier to access, with many children reaching various gaming options on the Internet on a daily basis without their parents’ knowledge.

According to problem gambling experts, the Australian Classification Board has constantly neglected the possible risks associated with gambling-related harm especially when it comes to children and more vulnerable individuals. They called for some changes to be brought to the existing video games classification, saying that if no measures are taken to tackle potential negative consequences from gambling exposure, more children are likely to grow up as gambling addicts.

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