New lessons on gambling and gaming dangers published in Northern Ireland

Schools in Northern Ireland are being urged to makes use of new lessons on gambling and gaming awareness for 11 to 14-year-old children.

The lessons, compiled by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment, cover topics ranging from sports betting to scratch cards and betting through online gaming.

Some schools in Northern Ireland already use a series of lessons drawn up by the Gambling with Lives charity, which warns about the dangers of betting addiction.

The UK Government has faced sustained pressure to overhaul gambling legislation given spiraling harms to people due to problem gambling. But a whitepaper on reforms has been delayed four times.

Current legislation, the Gambling Act 2005, is considered out-of-date as it was passed before widespread online gambling, and toothless given lax regulation of betting companies.

UK politicians have also heard warnings that children are at higher risk of developing addictive behaviours in later life after participating in gambling activity in video games.

An official House of Lords publication outlines the dangers of so-called 'loot boxes' in video games, which are thought to increase the risk of young people taking up gambling.

Loot boxes are items within computer games that are accessed either through game play or are purchased with in-game virtual currencies or with real-world money.

Speaking in October, a spokesman for CARE, which campaigns for gambling reform, said:

"Children and young people are clearly considered to be a target market by betting companies and it is right that proportionate steps are taken to safeguard them from harm.

"A whitepaper on gambling reform is long overdue. We call on the government to accelerate this document so that parliament can get to grips with it, and bring positive change."