BGLC and RISE Life Management Services Intensify Efforts to Tackle Underage Gambling

The Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) and RISE Life Management Services are intensifying efforts to tackle underage gambling during Underage Gambling Prevention Week, now under way.

The Week, being observed under the theme ‘Gambling Gambling…Dat a Nuh Fi You!’ will run until Saturday, February 8.

In an interview with JIS News, Programme Manager, Programme for the Prevention, Treatment and Research of Gambling Disorders and Responsible Gambling at RISE Life Management Services, Richard Henry, said that the Week is aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of gambling among minors.

“We are just trying to highlight the need to bring great awareness through the issue of underage gambling prevention. It’s not the most interesting topic for some people but, significantly. the consequences of not giving it its due can be seen, not only in schools but in a lot of adults who have gambling-related issues that began when they were in high school or even further back,” said Mr. Henry.

He informed that several activities will be “ramped up” throughout the Week, including sensitisation sessions in schools, and with students sent from school for gambling, peer educators training for students and the delivery of training material to teachers’ colleges islandwide.

Mr. Henry noted that the activities are among the usual initiatives executed by RISE Life Management Services.

Explaining the peer educators training, Mr. Henry pointed out that the intention is for the students to be equipped “to go back into their school spaces and be able to intervene, speak with other kids or just be general ambassadors for underage gambling prevention in schools”.

“The training that we do here teaches them how to begin having the conversation with students who are already gambling about not gambling and to keep kids who are not gambling, to keep them that way,” he added.

A major highlight of the Week will be the Underage Gambling Prevention Jingle Competition Awards Ceremony, scheduled for Friday, February 7 at 2:00 p.m., at the Institute of Jamaica.

“We hope to not only just do the awards but to create, in that space, young people who have a greater understanding of the need for underage gambling prevention [and for them] to be able to have conversations with other kids about underage gambling,” said Mr. Henry.

He informed that the top-10 entries will be awarded.

The RISE Life Management Services Programme for the Prevention, Treatment and Research of Gambling Disorders and Responsible Gambling has been funded annually by the BGLC for the past 19 years.