Online casino games may up risk of gambling in youth
Free online casino games may be an alternative to paid gambling, but it is linked to a higher risk of monetary gambling as well as problems related to it including abuse issues, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), stress, depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder, warns a new research. The study showed that adolescents who participated in free online games called social casino games, were significantly more likely to participate in monetary gambling, either online or land-based forms. These social casino games may also have higher odds of winning than monetary gambling, giving young people the false impression that they are luckier or better at gambling. "Adolescents' participation in seemingly risk-free social casino games is a concern because we know that early exposure to gambling activities is a risk factor for developing gambling problems in the future," said Tara Elton-Marshall, lead Researcher at Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (C