GambleAware Partners With Parent Zone For Gambling Education Campaign
GambleAware has announced a partnership with Parent Zone to launch a new responsible gambling education scheme.
The charity announced the news today (September 16), revealing it was partnering with the firm to launch a new education campaign with the goal to make online gaming safer for children. Parent Zone, which GambleAware describes as “experts in digital family life,” provides support and information to parents and schools while helping families make the internet safer for their children.
Under the partnership, the two firms will educate families about the risks minors face when playing games online while also providing them with advice to keep online gaming fun. The advice and information will be provided to the families through a short animation and a second film which will reportedly give families more detailed advice on reducing risks.
In addition to this, the firms will also offer parents and carers an online quiz and glossary so they can explore the topics further and help their children stay safe while online. Speaking about the partnership, Vicki Shotbolt, the founder and CEO of Parent Zone said:
“Gaming is an important, and fun, part of many families’ lives. But lots of parents do not know about the gambling-like features that are in games and the risks these can lead to. We want parents to ask what games their children are playing, check that they are happy with what they are doing in those games and know what their children are spending money on.”
Dr Jane Rigbye, the Director of Education at GambleAware, added: “More and more children are being exposed to gambling like activity, and it is increasingly important that parents are aware of the risks of gambling and talk to their children about it. We’re really pleased to be able to work with Parent Zone to help educate parents about the gambling-like activity that their kids might be exposed to, and make sure they know about the existing help and support that is available.”
GambleAware’s Call For More Regulation
The news comes just days after GambleAware released a report which called for the BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) community to receive more support regarding problem gambling. The study surveyed BAME individuals between the ages of nine and 24 through focus groups and interviews. Overall, the study found that almost all respondents regularly saw gambling advertisements and failed to recognise a source of help and support for problem gamblers.
Meanwhile, GambleAware announced a partnership with the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) this week as part of a plan to promote safer gambling in football. Under the partnership, the firms will launch a series of campaigns during the 2019-20 football season with an aim to promote responsible gambling.
News of GambleAware’s partnership with the FSA comes after a recent study surveyed over 1,000 football fans and found that they voiced concern that too many minors are being exposed to gambling messages and promotions.