In Ontario, treatment for people with gambling problems was first implemented in 1995, in response to the opening of the province’s first commercial casino in Windsor. With extensive clinical experience and excellent research since then, knowledge about what constitutes effective treatment has been growing, but no one approach suits everyone. Treatment services have instead tended to adopt an eclectic and holistic approach, incorporating a biopsychosocial-spiritual model that draws on...

Are video games like Candy Crush gambling? How do video games promote gambling among youth? What is a Freemium Model game? All these questions and more will be discussed in this free webinar being conducted by the YMCA of Greater Toronto's Youth Gambling Awareness Program. Game-Bling is an interactive webinar designed for service providers and parents of youth, during which we will explore the dangers of the blurred lines between gaming and gambling and provide tools to understand and...

I have participated in this webinar in the past and found it to be very educational and supported my work at PlaySmart Centre. It offers a look at how gaming and gambling are potentially connected. Highly recommend signing up if you're able to.

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.