The Ohio Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Prevention and Promotion has awarded the Lake County Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services Board a $50,000 grant to be used to raise awareness of youth problem gambling.
The campaign, dubbed “Change the Game,” coincides with the Jan. 1 start of legal sports betting in the state.
According to the campaign, sports betting is the most popular form of gambling nationwide and continues to draw interest as audiences are regularly inundated with related media during sporting events and with legal bets now made through phone apps.
Moreover, Change the Game notes, the younger someone is introduced to gambling, the more likely they are to develop problem gambling as adults, as “exposure to gambling can happen innocently enough” from parents betting on sports or buying lottery tickets.
Friendly bets and card games with peers at school can further introduce young people to gambling behaviors, the campaign details. Additionally, many video games and apps youth play “simulate the same excitement experienced by gambling.”
If problem gambling isn’t halted early, it can have lifelong consequences, officials noted.
“Research shows that children introduced to gambling by age 12 are four times more likely to develop a gambling problem,” said ADAMHS Board Executive Director Kim Fraser. “The exposure to gambling is moving from a traditional casino setting to our homes while families watch their favorite sports teams.
“We are excited to be the only ADAMHS board in the state awarded this grant,” she added.
According to Change the Game, warning signs of youth problem gambling include:
• Students missing classes or entire school days with no explanation
• Grades suddenly dropping or assignments going uncompleted
• Disinterest in extracurricular activities
• Increased aggressive, defensive or secretive behavior
• Increased interest in money and the value of possessions
• Speaking openly about interest in gambling or borrowing money.
Fraser noted the board will be directing this initiative through several mediums, including News-Herald and Laketran advertisements, digital billboards, printed posters — to be placed in local middle and high schools — social media platforms, and a new partnership with iHeartMedia Multi-Platform Group, a digital streaming radio, podcast and media provider.
Resources available through ChangetheGame.org are designed to educate and inform both youths and adults.
For local solutions and services for gambling and mental health, call the Compass Line at 440-350-2000 or visit HelpThatWorks.us.
