There Is An Increase In Those Under 25 Years Of Age Addicted To Gambling, Especially In Casinos And ‘online’ Bets | The USA Print – THE USA PRINT

The gambling addictions increase among the young. The head of the Pathological Gambling and Behavioral Addictions Unit of the Hospital de Bellvitge, Susana Jimenez, warns in an interview with the ACN agency that the strip in which this disorder has increased the most is that of the under 25 years and that strategic game, like the sports betting or casinos, HE they have increased a lot. Instead, when this reference unit opened in 2005, most patients were middle-aged men with an addiction to slot machines. Jiménez asks to protect adolescents and young people as the group at risk and demands prevention campaigns already from school: “We see that We did not arrive on time because they don’t have the perception that it is a risk”.

A few days ago it came out that Barcelona will host the largest casino and betting fair in the world, ICE, which from 2025 will open doors in Gran Via fairground. Three kilometers away, the Hospital de Bellvitge knows the other side of casinos and gambling, that of people who have lost their control in the game. The capture of the fair was immediately criticized by the Minister of Health, Manel Balcells, for promoting a model of society “where the most vulnerable always lose.”

According to a report on behavioral disorders of the Ministry of Health of 2022 (AGES survey), it is estimated that the 1.7% of the population “would show possible problem gambling or gambling disorder”. In 2009, the Department of Health had already revealed in a pioneering report that the 2% of the population in Catalonia is considered a risk player; a 0.5% problem gambler and 0.2% pathological gambler.

In an interview with ACN to talk about these addictions, Jiménez indicates that the prevalence of risk gambling in specific groups of greater vulnerability, like the young, exceeds 4%. Last year the Bellvitge unit treated 38 children under 25 years of age, which represented 18% of the 267 patients treated, while in 2005, when it was launched, there were 28 young people (7%).

In 2005, what is known as non strategic game centered the 84% of the queries. During these years, addiction to game in slot machines has been receding, with 93 patients in 2022 (43%), and the strategic game, which was residual in 2005 (1.5%), has practically equaled it (83 patients, 39%, last year). The inquiries by virtual gaming disorder they have gone from being practically non-existent in 2005 to bringing 38 patients to the unit last year (18%).

“The gambling activity itself carries a risk”, affirms the head of the unit, who points out that afterwards there is risk factor’s that add up, like the sociodemographics. The men During all these years they have represented around 90% of the patients treated in the unit. More than half (52%) were from low social group and 31%, low-medium. 58% of patients have primary studies and 44% do not work. Jimenez talks about low socioeconomic status as a risk factor, by fantasies that are attributed to the game of thinking that economic problems can be solved or easy money can be obtained through the prizes obtained.

Another risk factor for developing a gambling disorder and other mental health problems is to have started playing one early age. Jiménez explains that in a study carried out at the state level they observed that the 36% of gambling addiction patients had started gambling before the legal age, the 18 years. Jiménez also warns of the impact that involves accumulating significant debts due to addiction from a very young age: “They will start adult life with this debt and that complicates their life situation.”

Prevention already in childhood

Jiménez, who is also head of the hospital’s new Clinical Psychology Service, asks to carry out information and prevention campaigns of the game with money. For Jiménez, campaigns should start when they are children: “Let’s start campaigning when they are older. We see that we didn’t arrive on time because they don’t have the perception that this activity is a risk”.

The Spanish government introduced in 2020 important limitations on in-game advertising, that was restricted in the early morning and banned its use of celebrities as a claim. Jiménez appreciates this regulation, but believes that progress must continue, also in other areas, such as the investigation to improve detection of risk factors or treatments.

14,000 people on the self-ban record

Jiménez adds that self-exclusion from gambling is a “very effective” measure but that still “little use” and asks to include it in the prevention campaigns. People suffering from or at risk of gambling addiction can apply voluntarily that they are prohibited from entering gambling halls, casinos and bingo halls. currently exist 14,095 people registered in the registry of prohibitions, according to data from the Department of Economy.

Most patients do not relapse two years later

Of course, the head of the unit perceives that there is more and more awareness of the problem among patients arriving at the hospital, who less minimize addiction and its consequences, as personal suffering in the form of isolation and irritability; the loss of family relationships and the accumulation of large debts.

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In many cases, patients come very pressured by families and most admit that they have a gambling problem and that a weight was lifted off when at home they discovered the situation and confronted it. Most patients arrive at the Bellvitge unit referred by primary care.

Jiménez points out that behavioral addictions and gambling disorders have a response “quite favorable to treatment” and that what is usually more difficult is this previous situation to recognize the addition. Two years after starting treatment, when the follow-up period ends, the 70% of patientss have not relapsed and, although in the other 30% the evolution is more complicated, it does not mean, he remarks, that they do not end up overcoming the addiction.