Time to stop underage gaming

The Gaming Awareness Month has been launched in Accra with a call on the public to gamble responsibly.

The Gaming Commission, which made the call, said operators also had a duty to promote responsible gaming that protected players and the wider public through continuous improvement of their systems.

It said the industry came with a substantial weight of responsibility, and that a priority area of discourse was responsible gaming, adding that there was the need to leverage technology to implement tailor-made player protection measures.

The Daily Graphic fully supports the call of the commission for the public to gamble responsibly but we think that more is needed to achieve success on this front to stop or prevent underage gambling.

The reality of our situation as a country is that too many people, particularly those below 18, are seriously involved in all manner of gaming activities.

It is common to see young people below 18 on the premises of the gaming centres sometimes gambling all night. When they return home, it is usually for a nap in the morning so they could return to continue with the business.

For us, it is the responsibility of the commission to take charge of the situation in order to stop the practice because the future of the youth is at stake.

We are not oblivious of the fact that the gaming companies are profit-oriented. This is why the supervising state agency must ensure that profiteering is not pursued at the detriment of the interest of society, particularly the future of young people.

We cannot toy with their future by allowing those who are not qualified to gamble. Such activities could become a habit or part of their lifestyle, a phenomenon which could deny them the opportunity to become responsible leaders in the future.

Under no circumstance should authorities remain aloof and watch children engage in gambling and betting openly.

Beyond the call, there is the need for the commission to work harder to clamp down on young people below the gaming and betting age.

The commission, which is the regulator of games of chance in the country, has dedicated the month of September as awareness month to promote responsible gaming, and also raise awareness of safer gaming tools, among other objectives.

The event is on the theme: “Embracing environmental, social and governance for sustainable gaming industry”.

Activities lined up for the campaign include media engagements, public awareness and community outreach, a workshop on gaming addiction, educational sessions for students on gaming addiction and mental health, a series of webinars on the impact of gaming, a health walk and sports competition.

While these activities are laudable, they are not exhaustive. The paper believes that the commission ought to be proactive by engaging the various companies in the gaming business to do all they could to prevent young people below 18 from participating.

In other jurisdictions, technology is used to detect minors and the appropriate measures are used to deny them access to the portals.

The Daily Graphic is of the view that the state can also invest a little more in such technology to prevent underage people from getting involved.

We support the call, however, by the commission that gaming should be carried out in a manner that prioritises the environment and other social issues for sustainable development.

While The Daily Graphic wants the commission to check underage gaming, we also hope that the organisation would continue to implement measures to protect the general public, and ensure that gaming becomes a true catalyst for economic growth and development, and not a destructive tool for young people, the future leaders of the country.

The paper wants to urge the commission to continue to intensify efforts and challenge itself even more to create an environment where gaming can thrive not only for economic development and social good, but by ensuring that people below the betting age do not get involved in the practice.