Advice for parents and carers
As a parent, grandparent or carer, what you say and do has an impact. You can be a major influence on your child’s lifelong relationship to gambling.
If you’re worried about a young person – your own child or one you care for – the most important thing you can do is not help them to gamble.
Listen to what kids say about gambling
Kids can help you understand what it’s like for them. Maybe your child can relate to these stories, too. Watch the video below or visit our Youtube channel to watch the Talking with Teens about Gambling series.
Be a good role model
Right from the start, your own relationship with gambling is a big influence on your child.
The NSW Youth Gambling Study 2020 shows that if young people gamble with parents, grandparents and other adult relatives during childhood, or whose family approves of gambling, they’re more likely to have gambled in the past year. When young people gamble online, they often use a parent’s account with the parent’s permission.
Make some rules about going online
You can create a safer environment for your child by keeping devices in a visible shared space in the home. Make sure they’re somewhere you can see them. And create a plan for screen time – all kids need balance in their lives.
Play the games your child is playing
Take those video games for a test run. When you play them yourself, you’ll be able to tell if there are any signs of simulated gambling. Plus, it can be a fun time to bond with your child – and start a conversation if you need to.
Talk to your kids about gaming and gambling
Having a conversation with a child or teenager about gambling may seem difficult, but it’s an important discussion for you both to have. Open a conversation about gambling and the risks.
Talk to your kids about gambling advertising
Have a conversation with a child or teenager about the gambling ads they are seeing on TV, during sport or on social media.
Manage access to your money
Are your credit or debit cards linked to accounts your children access, say for downloading music? Virtual gaming and gambling websites regularly offer purchased credits or rewards, and it’s not always obvious that these purchases relate to real money. Have a chat with your bank.
Adjust online security and ad settings
It’s hard for your child to ignore gambling if they see gambling websites and advertising pop up when they’re online.Browsers, and platforms like Facebook and Instagram let you adjust online settings
Block access to gambling websites
You can install specialist blocking software and prevent access to all online gambling sites, servers and apps in one go. It’s a great way to help stop kids and young people experimenting with gambling online.
Activate parental controls
With parental controls you can filter access to content and spending on in-game purchases. Use them on computers, mobile devices, TVs, gaming consoles, streaming services and web browsers.