This was forwarded to me, via email, and i am passing it along. There is a lot of great information to help us understand our youth and technology better.

Research has identified a link between loot boxes and gambling. Loot boxes are an in-game purchase that players can make that includes randomized items that they may value. This random element of loot boxes is similar to random outcomes in gambling and there have been concerns that loot boxes may put players at increased risk of problem gambling.

The CAMH Monitor e-Report 2017 was just released, providing new gambling, gaming and technology use prevalence rates for Ontario adults. Below are some highlights. Gambling: The most common gambling activity was buying lottery tickets. 23.4% of adults reported betting on slots or table games at a casino in the past year, while 3.7% bet money online. 1.2% of Ontario adults had a moderate to high risk of gambling problems in the past year. Gaming & Technology Use: 5.6% of Ontario adults...

Thanks for sharing this interesting article, Steve! This study showed that as problem gambling severity increased (in adults), so did in-game spending on loot boxes. These findings lead to even more questions, including the effects on youth with and without gambling problems, the role of loot boxes in introducing youth to gambling, and the impact that evidence-based legislation can have on preventing or limiting in-game loot boxes. What do others think?

Interesting research! The Australian Government is currently conducting a commission into loot-boxes (microtransactions for chance based items). You can read a number of interesting submissions (including my own ) on the topic. The Australian Government has also reached out to the Netherlands to clarify why they regulated lootboxes in games. Their response states: The Senate report is actually due today, but I haven't seen it yet. I've done quite a bit of work in this space. To those...

I would absolutely be interested in your study of this area of gaming @Registered Member thank you

Hi @Registered Member. Send me an email: steven@instituteofgames.com and i'll send you my working documents.

Hello Bill, Please find the attached document, "A Guide for Counsellors Working with Problem Gambling Clients from Ethno-cultural Communities." On page 16 there is content related to your question. Best, Lisa

I am located in a rural county of Ontario with no access to transportation and a high rate of low income families who struggle to have access to sport available in our community, having said that you would think that problematic video game use would be more of an issue for the youth in our rural areas.

This is an article that features the concerns some scholars have about gaming being included in the ICD-11: "Scholars' open debate paper on the World Health Organization ICD-11 Gaming Disorder proposal"

Amazing @Registered Member! Thank you so much, I have already downloaded a copy (and attached here in case others are curious to check it out). Also, I would welcome an updated article.

Hi Olive I can't find the original document but it is called Ontario's problem - gambling Strategy and it has been in existence since 1996. Since 1999, it has been funded by a formula of 2 percent of gross slot machine revenue from charity casinos and slots at racetracks. The Strategy has a three-pronged approach consisting of treatment, prevention/awareness and research. I have attached a review of the strategy that was conducted in 2005. You can also find some information about it at the...

Great clip! Thanks for sharing Tara Marie and great to see Dr. Turner speaking on this panel. Curious to see the data on how popular regulated SESB becomes in Ontario as this rule comes into force... I know in the UK single events betting deals are highly advertised during major events such as football matches and horse racing.

Also curious to know how popular regulated SESB becomes! I predict we may also see many new ads for these activities here.

Soon, on August 27, the federal government will make it legal to gamble on individual sporting events . The provinces and territories will be able to set rules for new online and physical-venue forms of single-event sports betting (SESB). With Canadians spending approximately $10 billion per year on SESB through illegal networks, plus additional billions via opportunities in offshore jurisdictions, the new legal changes provide opportunity to regulate and control SESB, and divert money from...

Great clip - I agree that Dr. Turner had some balanced views. Definitely think we'll see some increased advertising! I'm interested in the points made that legalized SESB will likely divert money into legal streams that have the potential to: 1) help people come into contact with responsible gambling (RG) platforms and 2) a portion of that diverted money can be used to fund treatment and education. I'm also curious how likely the first point is, given these types of bets might not be made in...

Great article Steve. This quote caught my eye: “For adult fans who want to bet in legal markets on sports, have products and partners that serve them best in class and advance their experience,” Halpin said in a phone interview this offseason. “And on the flip side, don’t alienate the fan like my mother who doesn’t want sports betting in her national CBS broadcast.” I think it's interesting that they're thinking about how much they advertise it and the perception it might have. Like you...

A CBC article published today outlines how the Ontario government could lose up to $550 million in annual revenue with the arrival of the online gambling market in Ontario ($2.8 billion over the next five years). The projections, outlined in a private and confidential report to one of Canada's largest gaming companies, suggests that the province is set to lose money due to individuals spending more money on online gambling and moving away from land-based casino gambling (the taxation rate is...

The Future of Esports - INTENTA Sorry - I'm not the greatest at technology, but if you are able to access this, it is an interesting read about Esports. I had absolutely no idea how big of an industry this is! The growth rate of Esports is astonishing! The global esports audience number will pass 500 million people this year. The increase in numbers, will have more people talking, more people wanting to see what this is all about, and therefore neglecting some of their responsibilities to be...

I think esports is a very interesting topic and I have followed it fairly closely since 2010 when I first watched an event. Even though competitive gaming events can pull in an audience of similar size to large sporting events it still seems to be a very "niche" thing and is rarely discussed outside of its own circle. Currently, a teen/young adult dedicating their life to competitive gaming seems to be more negatively viewed than a child dedicating themselves to traditional sport. I wonder...

This is an especially important video for gamers who had dreams of being the next e-sport rock star, became addicted, didn't succeed, and now believe they have no other skills to move forward with their lives.

Video games often have elements of gambling, and there are blurred lines between games of skill and games of chance. It’s important to understand the definition of gambling, how the lines are blurred and the signs of a potential problem. The YMCA Youth Gambling Awareness Program (YGAP) defines gambling as “risking something of value when you don’t know if you will win or lose.” “It’s a myth that you can only gamble with money,” says Dua Fatima, Youth Outreach Worker for YMCA in Toronto West.

When it comes to gambling, there are many misconceptions — and perhaps the biggest one is that youth don’t (or can’t) gamble. That’s because we often associate gambling with playing poker or blackjack in a casino. But gambling takes many different forms. In fact, 68 per cent of Ontario youth said they participated in a gambling activity in the past 12 months, according to YMCA’s Youth Gambling Awareness Program (YGAP) Youth for Youth Digital Media Awareness Campaign in 2020. YGAP defines...

Youth Gambling Although they may not be of legal age to enter a casino, youth may be already engaging in gambling behavior to some degree, even from a young age — whether that’s making a bet with a rare Pokémon card or playing a claw machine game to win a prize. Gambling at any age has risks associated with it and the potential to cause harm. Some video games have elements of betting or gambling, even in skill-based games. Loot boxes are an example which typically offer players a chance to...

This research study is about addressing loneliness and social isolation among older adults. It was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic to measure the impact of technology to address loneliness and social isolation. The results indicate a need for technology-assisted interventions to be designed and delivered with older adult’s values, motivations and capabilities in mind. The main findings of the study indicate: - Addressing loneliness and social isolation among older adults was a key...