The world of online gambling is rapidly evolving - Hit show makes teens aware of the risks

TORONTO, Nov. 13, 2018 /CNW/ - Online gambling represents one of the fastest growing segments of the gambling industry and studies are now showing that the rate of youth gambling online is rising. To help raise awareness of the risks of gambling to students across Ontario, The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) is touring high schools for a fifth year,  with its hit show - GAME BRAiN.

"The opportunity for young people to gamble is increasing. In addition, the growth of social games with 'gambling type features' and the high levels of screen time among teens, is a cause for concern," says Shelley White, Chief Executive Officer at the Responsible Gambling Council. "Compared to adults, studies also show that young people are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop a gambling problem. GAME BRAiN helps students understand the dangers of gambling, before it becomes a problem."

Hosted by Jason Agnew and Matt Chin of YTV's "Splatalot", the innovative game show format has been seen by over 30,000 students across Ontario. While students have fun participating in the games, they also become aware of the realities of gambling, the often hard to recognize signs of a problem, and available help resources.

"The lines between social gaming and gambling have been blurred", says Jason Agnew, host of GAME BRAiN. "Often teens are not even aware that what they are doing is a form of gambling. We're here to change that".

For those students at schools where the show doesn't perform, GAME BRAiN's awareness messages are presented in a fun way through GIFs on their Instagram page.  To help increase the reach of these messages to even more students, GAME BRAiN is running a contest in English and French, which will give Ontario students a chance to win a gift certificate from Amazon.ca to help with the costs of school.

To find out more about GAME BRAiN visit www.GameBrain.ca or follow GameBrainCA on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

About RGC
The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to problem gambling prevention. RGC works to reduce gambling risks by creating and delivering innovative awareness and information programs, for a wide range of different groups including youth and young adults.

SOURCE Responsible Gambling Council (Ontario)