Gambling: New prevention project at the Wildhof addiction help center
13.08.2021 – The range of games of chance on offer in Germany is huge. In recent years, numerous providers of sports betting and online gambling have been added to the range of commercial gaming machines.
Gambling is possible from almost anywhere - on site in betting shops, in sports bars and particularly easily via legal internet providers. The almost unrestricted access to the gambling market means that gambling is increasingly perceived as normal by the public and risks are played down. Young people in particular are considered to be at risk of developing gambling-related problems. In order to better reach this group, the Wildhof addiction help center launched a project in July to prevent and intervene early in these problems. The offer is aimed at all teenagers and young adults, who can take part in workshops and discussions on the subject of gambling in various social facilities. Since 2008, the Wildhof Addiction Help Center has offered a special counselling service for gamblers and their relatives ("Gambling" state project). However, this is primarily aimed at adults.
Mayor Sabine Groß explains: "Around 18.4 million euros were gambled in Offenbach in 2018. This not only causes financial losses in individual cases, but often also family problems as a result. It was therefore important to me that we expand our prevention work against gambling and enable outreach work. The city provides 25,000 euros annually for this purpose. With the Wildhof addiction help center, we also have an experienced and proven partner at our side for the implementation of this work."
Protecting teenagers and young adults
The aim of the project is to protect teenagers and young adults from developing a gambling addiction. Developmental and personal risk factors play a major role in this. In order to reach this target group in the best possible way, the project should take place in familiar environments. "Facilities such as youth clubs, clubs and youth welfare facilities will be visited by the Wildhof addiction support center to get in touch with young people and reduce their fear of contact," explains Sabine Groß.
Workshops are also planned at schools and vocational colleges on the subject of gambling and addiction risks. Sports clubs are also a focus of the project, as their members have a higher tendency to bet on sports and are more likely to develop problems with gambling. As the proportion of people seeking advice from a migrant background is high (so far 66% of those seeking advice each year), the existing cooperation with migrant organizations, religious communities and clubs is to be intensified. Training courses for employees and helpers are also planned in the aforementioned institutions, organizations and associations. In the so-called multiplier training courses, teachers, trainers and supervisors are taught how to recognize problematic developments in their work and how to address young people competently. "The prevention measures mentioned are intended to educate young people and young adults about the various risks, promote life skills, act early in the event of problems and pave the way for access to the help system," concludes Groß.
Background information on gambling
The economist Ingo Fiedler, who has been working on the subject of gambling for years, states that around 70 percent of turnover in gambling halls is generated at the expense of gambling addicts. Tilmann Becker, head of the Gambling Research Center at the University of Hohenheim, arrives at a considerable 56 percent in his analysis.
Commercial slot machines, sports betting (especially live betting) and online gambling are considered highly addictive forms of gambling. The development of problematic or pathological gambling behavior is facilitated, among other things, by the high availability of offers, low stakes, the payout interval, the rapid succession of games and the connection with personal interests. In connection with gambling offers on the Internet, the fact that age restrictions can be circumvented and therefore the protection of minors is not guaranteed is an additional factor.
There are a large number of simulated games of chance, such as Candy Crush or Coinmaster, which are offered free of charge and without age restrictions on the Internet. These also include free demo games that tempt young people to play for real money and computer games that have elements of a gambling nature, such as "lootboxes" and eSports games such as Counterstrike, Fifa or League of Legends, on which bets can be placed. With these offers, there is a mixture of "gaming" (computer games) and "gambling" (games of chance), which is considered by addiction experts to be a risk for the development of a gambling problem. However, initial experiences are also gained through visits with friends, relatives and acquaintances to catering establishments where gambling machines are installed. The special light and sound effects are experienced as appealing and, out of curiosity, the change given or their own pocket money is used.