Paddy Power

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NHS opened its first clinic for Young People addicted to gambling, a year after a Gambling Commission report found that around 55 ' 000 11-to 16-year-olds in the UK, problem gamblers were. For some of the way to the gambling starts with online gambling, the BBC's Becky Milligan heard from The Father of a young man, the now first help for his addiction.

"Not in a million years, not in a million years, I that The Games could lead to gambling addiction I think. "

Steve is sitting on a bench in the churchyard. He agreed with me to talk about addiction through his son The Game . He is nervous, he has done it, an interview, and I can feel his fear.

His son, now in his early 20s, then the rest and well, "but we take One Day at a time," he says.

"We had a terrible three years. We would not want anyone to go through what we went through. If we, for the first time our son had discovered searches for The Game , the disorder, we don't know what to do. "

Steve told me about how one lost the night his son his week's wages in a matter of minutes. Distraught, he called his parents for help. They did, what would they do with many other parents: she paid his debt, in the hope that this would be over. But it was not.

I tell Steve that I have spoken to other parents whose children have developed disorders gambling, and they also paid for the debts on the first, does not recognize the extent of their children's addiction.

"We thought that was just a minor glitch, that's what children do," one father told me. And that's what Steve thought at first.

He and his wife had known bets for some time that her son enjoyed the odd. But many of their friends enjoyed a flutter and it does not seem to be out of the ordinary.

A year later, though, Steve was shocked to learn his son was playing with other people's money, and lose large amounts of.

"It was online roulette. That was his downfall," he tells me.

Now, Steve realized, it was a very serious problem. He and his wife did not know what to do. They began to isolate themselves, avoid going out or friends to see. They were worried what people would say.

"We were pretty helpless. We did not know which way to turn. We months spent, responses and Our Own research," says Steve .

Last year, he and his wife went to a GamAnon meeting for families. Earlier this year, his son also began to get help.

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Steve had to do a couple of months a lot of research, and he believes now that his son awakened the addiction, when he was 12 or 13 and was obsessed with online games, especially football games.

play for hours and hours in his room would say, a Steve to me, and all of them were his comrades in them as well. Steve didn't really understand what The Games were used on, let alone the new technology, The Games . And anyway, at least his son was occupied, he says.

"We all of an Easy Life , a quiet life. Parents can be lazy. When he played, on the upper floor, I would think It does not do damage will it?'"

Steve now thinks that the soccer games sponsored habits, including hours and hours online, that "developed into a game of luck".

what is Crucial is that Steve 's son was promoted to be the money for additional products, such as the "ultimate team packs".

the identities of The players in these packs would only be discovered after he had paid what Steve says, led his son to the "thrill of gambling", The Game of chance and Risk - including the chance the acquisition of a star player, would make him unbeatable.

Steve says, the difference between online gaming and gambling is very subtle, and that those children who play excessively online as his son, are in danger to Compulsive Gamblers later in life. It doesn't matter, he says, if The Game involves winning or losing Real Money .

Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones, a psychiatrist at the new NHS treatment centre, says that there is no connection between gaming-related activities," which can be toxic for" Young People and gambling has established itself already. It is currently a "great controversy conversation," she says.

"I believe that this is so little known in This Country about these two behavioral addictions, children, we need to listen to it on the ground, we need to understand what these people are doing, then you are working with policy-makers, politicians and Public Health professionals to change The Environment in which They Live ," she told the BBC.

Where to get help

(for kids and youth)

It was a very hard couple of years for Steve and His Family . Recently, he has decided to leave his profession as a teacher and Set Up a charity, GamFam to other parents who maybe in a similar position.

how complicated it is, Steve says that parents need to know what your children are doing online, you will need The Experts to protect you.

"research, to put the barriers in place, assume you Set Up the control of The Device , it's time for the family. The screen [of The Child -activity], so that you are in control of what's going on. And especially not tied to your credit cards, debit cards to the account," he says.

"There are Horror Stories in which children spend excessive amounts of money for in-game purchases. Many of these games promote themselves as free games, but the loot boxes in the play [is not]. "

As the "ultimate team-packs" that Steve 's used to buy son, loot-don't know that contain boxes virtual items such as weapons or shields which help a player to win The Game - and player what is in them until you have purchased.

the members of the Digital, culture, media and Sport Committee has recently recommended that the sale of loot-should Boxing be regulated as a gambling game, and.

In a statement to the BBC, The Association for UK interactive entertainment, Ukie, echoing Steve 's call to parents to monitor their kids behavior online.

"in addition to robust age-ratings for games, all the popular consoles and mobile devices, offer smart and simple parental controls. In particular, we recommend that parents and caregivers directly with the players, talk with them about The Games you play, and even participate," The Statement said.

Wes Himes, CEO of the Remote Gambling Association, said that it was very difficult for children to go through the review to online gambling. He added that the industry was not allowed to advertise, in the vicinity of schools, or the opponent under-25s with his advertising.

Steve Ginnis of Ipsos Mori , however, told the BBC that the focus groups conducted, which showed of his company, that children and Young People found that aspects of the existing gambling advertising is appealing - "in relation to the promotional offers and the use of celebrities and presents it as fun or skillful".

'part of The Game '

Stewart Kenny, Paddy-Power-founder, joined in 2016 about what he saw, to cope with the failure, gambling addiction, and says that it is "almost a part of The Game " when watching football.

"This is dangerous, because it is promoted by well-known people, there is a constant flood of advertising that you see before, during and after The Game ... It is normal for children to think that gambling and football are the same thing. "

Steve says His Family is now doing better. His son's last deployment was in February. You will no longer be ashamed about what happened, but his son shooter, Steve does not want to give his full name.

He hopes his new Foundation will be able to visit schools and talk with the parents.

Steve says, the problem of children-needs to be addressed gaming addiction. If nothing is done, he we have an "epidemic in our hands, of catastrophic proportions have to believe".

At present, he says, the only help that these Young People are their parents.

"For me, if I do not do this now, then I'll never do it, I believe it is a calling that I must do, I must be in The Message , and the support of the parents. I would not want what we have been through on my worst enemy. "

you may also be interested in:

gambling, addiction, nhs, gaming, young people

Source of news: bbc.com