Sarah Harte: The Government has bottled it on gambling — our young people will pay
Technology has allowed people to gamble discreetly 24/7.
Technology has supercharged the gambling problem. You no longer have to enter a seedy bookie's. You can gamble 24/7 and discreetly do so on your dopamine-delivering phone, with no visible signs.
Maybe you’re of the mindset that thinks human vices should be legal, but there is an issue around targeting minors who are not fully capable of making decisions. As the Tabor Addiction Group said: “Young people are particularly vulnerable, with gambling addiction affecting them at two to three times the rate of adults.” They are also subjected to the rapid expansion of increasingly sophisticated gambling opportunities.
