Contains subject matter which individuals may find upsetting.

Resilience towards gambling

RSHE (PSHE)

Internet safety and harms: Gambling, debt and targeted advertising

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, physical illness, mental illness, bereavement or death, divorce, organ donation

Young people can experience gambling activities through online gaming using virtual currency (meaning no real monetary value).

Free-to-play games have advertisements in them to keep them free and often feature ads for online casinos.

It isn’t higher. Games which are advertised as free-to-play are not permitted by law to charge for content.

Since the games are free to download, the chance of being exposed to loot boxes is much higher.

Why is the risk of being exposed to gambling-like features higher in free-to-play games?

Connect a voucher or debit card and pay real money or convert money into virtual currency.

Normal currencies, like pounds, are not accepted, so players have to use cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

They don’t - Once you’ve bought a game, you automatically have access to all the features.

They can use prepaid vouchers that don’t always require age verification, in addition to debit cards.

They have to ask their parents’ permission and use their debit card.

Under-18s are not allowed to buy virtual currencies so children won’t be able to buy them.

How can children buy paid-for virtual currencies?

Because the contents are undisclosed, forcing the player to ‘gamble’ for items.

Because they are VERY expensive and the contents are rarely worth the price.

Because you have to buy them to progress in a game.

A feature in many video games - console and mobile.

Prohibiting micro-transactions and setting parental controls on devices can help prevent children from gambling.

How many 11-16-year-olds in the UK have gambled in the last year?

How many children and young people in the UK have spent money on loot boxes?

What chance does a person have of getting a jackpot payout when playing a slot machine?

Content guidance

Contains subject matter which individuals may find upsetting.

Adult supervision suggested.

This lesson will soon be taken down.

Resilience towards gambling

Lesson outcome

Content guidance