When: Thursday July 11th 2024 1-2pm (adt)
What: Zoom Webinar -Game-bling: When Gaming Meets Gambling
Cost: FREE!
Who: Youth Gambling Awareness Program (YGAP)
How: Register here
About: Gambling is incorporated in games youth play (i.e. videogames, mobile apps), blurring the lines between gambling and gaming. Due to the risk associated with gambling, it is important for youth to differentiate when a game goes from a skill-based activity to a chance-based activity. This interactive workshop explores unconventional forms of gambling available to minors, activities such as player-pack unlocking, skin betting, e-sports betting, and daily fantasy sports. It invites youth to apply critical thinking skills to recognize the decreased perception of value of money when it has been converted to in-game currency and the importance of keeping track of money spent on in-game microtransactions. After analyzing the impact of excessive technology use on health and wellbeing, this workshop discusses signs of problem gaming and gambling and explores the potential risks of these activities, while providing strategies on how to make safe and healthy decisions and providing information on referrals to community support services.
When: Thursday September 26th 2024 1-2pm ADT
What: Zoom Webinar -Media Impact
Cost: FREE!
Who: Youth Gambling Awareness Program (YGAP)
How: Register here
About: Due to the opening up of the regulated gambling market to private companies in Ontario, youth are being exposed to more gambling media than ever before. In this multimedia workshop, youth develop critical thinking skills by exploring the role of gambling advertisements in falsely portraying gambling as risk-free and as a way of making easy money as compared to its reality. Participants will discuss the increased prominence of ‘influencer marketing’ and youth exposure to gambling related content (i.e. gambling tipsters, fantasy sports content) on social media platforms while evaluating the credibility of the shared information. The workshop will provide media safety tips (i.e. limiting screen time, installing adblockers, downloading smartphone usage tracking app), and invites participants to analyze online content prior to sharing it. The workshop will also share support services available in the community in regards to mental health and problem gambling.
When: Tuesday, November 5 · 1 - 2pm AST
What: Zoom Webinar - Gambling Money and Decision Making
Cost: FREE!
Who: Youth Gambling Awareness Program (YGAP)
How: Register here
About: Join the Youth Gambling Awareness Program for a free, interactive webinar. This session discusses items of value used by youth to bet with, and analyzes factors leading them to participate in games of chance (i.e. to make money) to emphasize the importance of not risking items one is not comfortable losing. Through a variety of activities, youth understand that gambling is not a way to earn money by referring back to the odds of losing and the role of chance in gambling. It also discusses the distinction between needs and wants which allows participants to apply decision-making skills to create a budget and make smart financial decisions contributing to mental health and wellbeing (i.e. exploring the concept of entertainment budget and how it relates to gambling). Finally, it explores the financial risks of gambling while providing safety tips and providing information on referral to community support services.
This webinar is FREE.