A program at the Saskatchewan Science Centre is teaching students grades five to nine that gambling is more than just jackpots and sevens.
Over the course of the year, students from 35 Saskatchewan schools will attend Risk It All Camp In, and stay overnight at the Science Centre. The event is held in partnership with Saskatchewan Health.
“They have a chance to learn about probability and math, and just have a chance to take some responsible risks and learn about that,” said Sheila Beaubien, the public programs coordinator for the Science Centre.
There are games to teach the students about probability and odds. Then, they participate in rock climbing, which will show them the adrenaline rush that comes with gambling.
“We really wanted to get students while they’re young,” said Beaubien.
The messages seem to be getting through to the students.
“The odds are mostly stacked against you and you’re probably not going to win,” said Rebecca Bourget, a grade eight student at Westmount Community School in Saskatoon.
Many of these kids are not far from experiencing gambling first hand. It is already easy to access on their cell phones and computers.
“Teenagers gamble all the time on the computer,” said Bourget.
There are fears at addictions centres when it comes to young people and gambling.
“Underage gambling has the potential of really exploding,” said Joy Johnson, executive director of The Caring Place.
Even though online gambling is illegal in Saskatchewan, Johnson says it is still too accessible.
“It makes gambling easier to hide,” she explained. “It makes the age of the person gambling unknown. I could be saying I’m 21 or 31, but I could be 12.”
The hope is the Risk It All Camp In will teach Saskatchewan students some valuable lessons early on.
“It’s not bad to gamble, but just to be healthy and responsible about it,” explained Beaubien.
During the event, Bourget had some tips for anyone who wants to go gamble.
“Basically, set your limits,” she said. “Only take a certain amount of money. If you lose it, stop.”
For anyone looking for help with a gambling addiction, contacting the Problem Gambling Help Line or Gamblers Anonymous are good first steps. There are also addictions councillors in the health regions.
The province wants to promote responsible gambling, and is spending about $6 million throughout multiple ministries. Last fall it started to roll out new VLTs with controls that shut you out once you have spent a certain amount of money.
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