One of the most talked about aspects of gambling, away from the actual playing of games, is the involvement of underage players. This is a very real issue that happens across the board in all types of gambling, from sportsbook wagering to playing at online casinos.
The legal gambling age in Canada is either 18 or 19, depending on the province. The actual age minimums aren’t governed at the federal level in the country; it’s left to the individual provinces, which has led to age restriction variances.
It’s been long reported that younger players are more vulnerable to falling into the dangers of addictive gambling behaviour. This is cited as being down to underdeveloped decision-making and emotional control, and younger people typically are more willing to take risks than their older counterparts.
A high percentage of over 80% of Canadians think that responsible gambling should be down to the individual player and that it’s their sole responsibility to handle themselves in a healthy, controlled manner. But that is often a lot easier said than done, and it also raises an interesting question about the role that casinos play in combating underage gambling.
Underage gambling is as prevalent in Canada as it is in any other country. It’s a global, societal issue and not specific to one region. It happens regardless of the age restrictions in place. Recent statistics reported that in the 15 to 24 age group in Canada, roughly two-thirds of people gambled, and nearly 10 percent of teens from three researched provinces (Ontario, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador) reported gambling.
The article Underage Gambling, Written and Published by playcasinos.ca1, delves into this vital subject. It takes a serious look at the psychology of gambling and why it can be so appealing and addictive to all age groups.
Given that there has been a massive increase in the volume of available gambling platforms, not only through online casinos but also with gamified apps available on cell phones, the number of youngsters at risk from underage gambling is growing all the time.
For example, in 2023, iGaming Ontario saw its revenue increase by 105% from the previous year and, in one quarter alone, had raked in $540 million. Among that, it was reported that 300,000 Canadians in the province are at risk from gambling problems, again with the youth being the demographic most at risk.
The Center of Addition and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto referenced a study2 that showed that the earlier people gamble, the greater the problem it becomes later on.
If gambling in Canada is regulated by age restrictions, then why is underage gambling a problem? Unfortunately, people get around this in many ways, and the high numbers at risk show that it’s a very difficult issue to deal with.
Fake IDs are one problem, as they are employed to try and bypass the common age verification in land-based and online casinos. They are hard to come by, so borrowed IDs also play into this. Using an adult’s credentials to sign up for an online account is another path to underage gambling, and the notorious route of visiting unregulated and illegal gambling sites also poses a problem.
But often, there isn’t any need to sign up, especially with online betting accounts. If an adult already has an online betting account and their credentials are saved within a browser, the account becomes easily accessible. Unfortunately, the authorised sharing of accounts with minors is another way that young people get access to gambling platforms.
Gambling, however, doesn’t have to involve visiting an establishment or playing online. There is little to stop underage players from gambling between themselves on card games or the outcome of sports matches3 or video games, for example, and the numbers from surveys do typically reflect this.
It should be noted that there is also a common lack of awareness of gambling laws as well. It’s very likely that while people underage know they aren’t supposed to be engaging in it, the full awareness of consequences, along with the risk of addiction, isn’t likely to be fully understood.
Casinos play their part in trying to combat underage gambling through regulations that they have to adhere to. Like in all areas of their gambling practice, from the fairness of slot machines to the handling of personal data, they abide by systems that try to keep gambling only for players of age. Here are some of the measures that they take to do this:
This is the first and most obvious step that a casino will take. Age verification before ever letting a player gamble is standard practice. If they are dubious about a player, especially regarding the risk of fake IDs, they will simply err on the side of caution to protect themselves.
ID checks are no longer simply trying to match the picture on the card to the face and examining the date of birth. Technology in this area has advanced to the point where sophisticated scanners can tell when an ID being presented is fraudulent.
Land-based casinos have further checkpoints throughout their establishment where they can demand the presentation of a valid ID. Verification checks are unlikely to be limited to the entrance point, as casinos can also require follow-up checks at other places like the cage when trying to purchase chips or when someone tries to enter a high-stakes area of the establishment.
Physical barriers limiting access to restricted zones are an effective way to act as a deterrent for minors trying their luck. Follow-up checks can also happen when a player sits at a slot machine. Casinos have eyes on everything that is happening on the floor. Online operators can even use sophisticated AI software to track inexperienced gambling patterns that may indicate a young player,
Casino staff members are highly trained to watch for fraud like fake chips, suspicious card handling and other things, including underage gambling. From the dealers at the table to security, there are a lot of eyes on the floor covering everything, without even including the big “eye in the sky” of the video surveillance.
Staff are trained to look for suspicious people, and a youngster trying their luck with a fake ID, for example, will probably look very suspicious, and red flags will be raised. In any main gambling area, you will see trained security guards who are also looking for things, and they can check for IDs at any point and intervene immediately.
Yes, they care a lot. They must abide by stringent operating regulations, including doing all they can to prevent underage gambling at their establishment or online platform. They are incentivised to be as thorough and detailed as possible because fines and sanctions would rain down on them for servicing underage players.
But there are also legal consequences on the side of the minor, as they have broken strict laws as well. This could also lead to fines, most commonly a ban from all establishments, and if they are discovered, any winnings they happened to earn will simply be confiscated, so there won’t be a win-win outcome for them.
Casinos also have a responsibility to promote legal gambling, and you’ll see a lot of that at online casino sites. Promotional offers, for example, will have the minimum age stated as a legal requirement for participating.
It’s in the interest of a casino to be fully on board with the promotion of safe, legal gambling because it prevents them from getting in trouble with the regulatory bodies that oversee them. They want their hands free of licensing and operating complications, plus any financial risk.
Casinos may even partner with advocacy groups to promote safe and healthy gambling, which helps protect them and gives them a good look as well. Prominently displaying the risks of gambling is also a recommended step for casinos4 to be proactive about, something that has been pushed by the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Underage gambling is a problem, and as numbers suggest, it is a growing one as well. Educating adults to help prevent minors in their care from going down this route is another positive, recommended path, and parents also have a responsibility to ensure their online casino account details are not easily accessible.
Essentially, there is guilt in different places when it comes to these issues. Casinos work within their regulatory oversight to try and maintain a steady ship, but that doesn’t stop people from trying to game the system if they want to take the risk badly enough.
Casinos put a lot into this, from training their staff to rigorous checking of ID. The more that different parties work together against underage gambling, the increasingly stable the gambling environment is likely to become.
1. Underage Gambling, Written and Published by playcasinos.ca
3. Predictions Mixed on Senators’ Chances, published by Ottawalife.com
4. New online gambling statistics reveal a concerning trend for Ontario, published by CMHA.ca
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