Jake PopistThe numbers speak for themselves. Gambling with money is a reality that is increasingly present in the lives of minors, and its incidence is growing all the time. The latest surveys, conducted among secondary school students, reveals that the percentage of kids who say they have gambled at some point in their lives has doubled in just two years, specially when talking about minimum deposit online casinos of 5 dollars.
According to this study, one out of every four students between 14 and 18 years old (specifically, 26%) confesses to having played in a face-to-face format (lotteries, betting games, slots, sports betting, casinos…), while 11% say they have bet online. These percentages were 6% and 13%, respectively, two years earlier.
Online gambling is, according to experts, the most dangerous, as it provides the most immediate rewards with smaller stakes. In that case, of the thousand students asked, there were 3% who said they had played “one day a month or less” in the last year, 1.4% who had played between two and four days a month and another 1.4% who said they had bet between two and six days a week. In addition, 4% said they had not bet with money on the Internet in the last 12 months, but had done so previously.
Of the kids who have ever played online, most say they first played at age 16, while the next most common starting ages are 15, 17, 14 and 18, in that order. In terms of game types, video games have the highest percentage of incidence among students. These are games that provide incentives to pay money to improve characters or pass tests.
The other great modality of online game is the one of the sports bets. One of the demands that experts and associations insist on the most is that their advertising be regulated.
As for the game in person, its incidence is even higher, although in some of its modalities it is valued as less problematic. It also includes lotteries and football pools, which are considered more “social” or “integrated” games in society, although they can also have their risks. Of those surveyed, 11% said they had played a lottery in the last year and almost 9% said they had played a betting game.
The percentage of those who confess to having made a sports bet in person is also high (8.7%), i.e. in a casino or games room. Slot machines and bingo machines, with 8% each, also reach high percentages.
Despite the fact that the entry of minors is prohibited, and that the DGA last year did not detect the presence of any in their inspections, many manage to bet on these premises. Others, who are already adults, have made a habit of meeting in the gambling halls, where it is no longer unusual to find kids coming out of high school or getting together to watch games and gamble, either in sports competitions or at roulette tables.
Within the wide range of leisure activities on the Internet, the spread that online casinos are experiencing stands out. These are virtual spaces where the public can enjoy a large number of games. Their success lies in simulating the traditional system, since physical gaming rooms have been in for a long time, combining it with the advantages offered by the virtual world. A casino with hundreds of rooms and games that can be accessed from a small screen.
Their wide range, the facilities for playing and a high quality design are the features that explain the success of online casinos. The user finds here numerous options to enjoy playing, from card modalities to traditional roulette, and many other themed games. The young public likes the game to have continuity and the capacity of these virtual spaces to create a story of each of their games has been another reason for the good reception they are receiving. In addition, all the games are adapted to the time of each user, as it is possible to change every ten minutes or devote a few hours to the game. Its gameplay is so simple that it reaches all kinds of audiences. You only need an electronic device and an internet connection and with a couple of games you already know the basic requirements to play.
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