Young people should be warned about risks of gambling, says group

A group that aims to highlight the problems associated with gambling says thousands of people are affected in Nova Scotia each year and it is getting worse.

The group says the problem is not with the people who gamble, but it is one the gambling industry creates.  

“How comfortable are people coming forward to say, ‘I am hurting, I need help’ if what you get is, ‘Oh, you are a problem gambler,’ ” said Bruce Dienes, the chair at Gambling Risk Informed Nova Scotia (GRINS) who organized the event at The Local Council of Women Halifax on Tuesday. 

The group released its report on the impacts of gambling. The report assembles statements from gamblers and those affected by gambling in an effort to educate people about the risks.

Among its recommendations, the report calls for more education in schools about the risk of gambling — specifically sports betting involving youth. It also demands public policy solutions to address “urgent …needs of the neurodivergent community.”  

The report contained comments from gamblers along with people who support them such as therapists and youth leaders. 

A 2022 report by Statistics Canada researchers Michelle Rotermann and Heather Gilmour found that 64.5 per cent of Canadians aged 15 or older reported gambling in the past year, and 1.6 per cent were at a moderate-to-severe risk of problems related to gambling.

The study found 66.9 per cent of Nova Scotians gambled – slightly more than the national average but in the middle range among residents of other provinces.  

“What we want is for people to make informed decisions. There is so much deception and manipulation in the gambling industry. No one is informed that they are being psychologically manipulated,” said Dienes.  

He said there is no secret to the danger of consuming cigarettes because a warning on that the package literally states they could kill you. 

He said there is no similar warning on video lottery terminals stating at least 25 per cent of people who use it regularly will be harmed by it. 

“It is challenging,” said Elizabeth Stephen, one of the board members of GRINS. “But the more we talk about it, eventually it (can) have some kind of impact.”  

Dienes said the group aims to create a caring environment for everyone in Nova Scotia and they want the government to be able to make sure the priority is well-being for people and not revenue for the government. 

Stephen said victims must call mental health and addictions helpline if they have a gambling problem. The province ended financial support for an organization dedicated to gambling prevention and research in 2021.

Dienes says the scourge of gambling affects everyone in society both directly and indirectly, impacting Nova Scotians’ health, finances and social life.  

Heidi Kalyani, another board member of GRINS says it is a real problem, but everyone can come together to tackle it. She added that the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia has been supportive by funding this event.