Try an adventure game for gambling awareness
Welcome, knowledge seekers across Canada! Are you ready to explore some risks of youth gambling? You can start your adventure with House of Wisdoms, an online game that can help you build your gambling awareness.
How can gambling affect the brain?
By the time young people turn 18, they have a greater chance of developing a gambling issue than adults (you can learn more on the Responsible Gambling Council’s website). But why is that? As you get older, your brain grows and changes. Different parts of your brain develop at different speeds. For example, the parts of your brain that control emotion (your feelings) and logic (your thoughts) take a while to mature. It’s all a part of growing up!
Did you know that gambling can affect the emotional and logical parts of your brain? Gambling is any activity that involves chance, where you risk losing something valuable to get an outcome you want. The act of gambling can make the logical and emotional parts of your brain “compete” with each other. If you choose to gamble, you may think about the risks, while still feeling good, happy, excited, etc. Your brain may tell you to keep going, despite the risks! These competing thoughts and feelings can lead to gambling becoming an issue in your daily life.
What are some risks of youth gambling?
Gambling may become an issue if it’s costing you a lot of time and money. That can affect things like your grades, job, relationships and more. However, just because someone chooses to gamble when they’re of legal age, doesn’t mean they have, or will have, a gambling issue. Building your gambling awareness may help you understand the risks of gambling and help reduce the likelihood of gambling becoming an issue.
How can I build my awareness of gambling risks?
You can build your awareness of gambling risks by playing House of Wisdoms, an online adventure game, on this page. In the game, you can learn about gambling risks, gambling myths and ways to get support if gambling is affecting your life. To start your learning journey, you can click or tap on the game below. You can also check out these resources about how to cope with a gambling issue and what to do if someone you know is struggling with gambling.
To bring you House of Wisdoms, Kids Help Phone partnered with the Responsible Gambling Council (you can click on the link to learn more about them on their website). They’re a Canadian organization dedicated to reducing the risks / potential harms of gambling.
Play House of Wisdoms
If you choose to try House of Wisdoms, you can take a moment to reflect on how you’re feeling, first. The game is supposed to be fun and educational, but learning about gambling can bring up different feelings for everyone.
Would you like to talk about how you’re feeling, or keep building your gambling awareness? Do you have concerns about how gambling may be affecting someone you care about? You can connect with Kids Help Phone 24/7 for support with anything on your mind.
Kids Help Phone would like to thank the Responsible Gambling Council for their partnership, sharing their resources about gambling risks and supporting youth mental health in Canada.
