Half a million children and young people are online gambling every week, according to new survey

Over 300,000 children and young people are gambling every week through online games, a new survey has revealed.

Technology is providing children with the opportunity to experience gambling through free-to-play casino games, social media or within some computer games.

Just over 1 in 10 young people claimed to have participated in gambling style social games which are free to play, with the majority of people saying that they accessed these games through smartphones or tablets.

The report published by the Gambling Commission stated that these online resources do not have the same level of protections or responsible gambling messages as regulated gambling products.

Tim Miller, Gambling Commission Executive Director said: “We require gambling operators to have strong protections in place to prevent children from accessing their products and are actively reviewing how some, like age verification, can continue to be strengthened.”

However, the report also found that some of the most common forms of gambling amongst young people were happening in places that do not need to be regulated, for example betting between friends, fruit machines in pubs and scratch cards.

Mr Miller said: “It is clear that many children’s experiences of gambling-style activities are coming from the playground, the games console or social media rather than the bookmaker, the casino or the gambling website.

“That’s why it is essential that we work across industries and with parents so that together we can protect children and encourage those that choose to gamble in adulthood to do so safely.”

The report pointed to gaming as a gateway into gambling citing “skin betting” websites which allow players to gamble with virtual items.

"Skins" are unique virtual design of a weapon used in video games.Depending on how rare these “skins” are they can be used as virtual currency. Some third party sites enable players to gamble their skins on casino or slot type games.These “skins” can then be cashed out as real money.

It is estimated in the UK that half of the population plays video games.

The survey showed that 11 per cent of 11-16 year olds had personally participated in “skins” betting and that the problem was more common among boys.

According to the BBC, the UK Gambling Commission has claimed that dealing with video games is “high on their list of priorities” when it comes to tackling gambling amongst children.