Authorities to take action: Youth gambling rises in Aalborg
Online gambling is on the rise among young people in Aalborg.
New figures from the Center for Gambling Addiction show that young boys spend 800 kroner a month on online betting and casino games.
And half of them do not play at all – meaning that those who do play, play a lot.
And the amount is increasing.
At Aalborg Business College, they are also seeing how online gambling is filling more and more of everyday life among students.
“Every day we see a group of students gathered around their computers or one of their phones, placing bets. You can gamble around the clock on countless sites and on an almost endless number of games.
It affects relationships between students behind the scenes and thus their social well-being,” says Lene Østerbæk, vice principal at Aalborg Business Gymnasium on Turøgade.
Nearly 25,000 young people between the ages of 12 and 17 in Denmark are estimated to have problems with gambling – even though they are not old enough to gamble legally.
At the same time, almost half a million adult Danes have a problematic relationship with gambling.
That is more than a doubling since 2016.
It is a development that is also causing concern in Aalborg – and is now prompting the municipality to act.
Aalborg Municipality takes action
According to Aalborg Municipality, the development among young people is particularly serious because access to gambling today is digital, constant and massive – often via social media.
That is why the municipality has now launched a targeted initiative in cooperation with the city’s youth education institutions.
Among other things, first-year students at Aalborg Business College are currently being met with workshops about gambling, its consequences and warning signs.
“We must do everything we can to help shed light on a topic we have not previously focused on. With digitalisation and the influence of social media, it has become more accessible to young people.
So it is important that we do something now,” says Jan Nymark Rose Thaysen, alderman for Climate, Culture and Health in Aalborg Municipality.
Invites to a theme evening at the Main Library
As part of the initiative, Aalborg Municipality is also inviting parents and citizens to a theme evening on gambling addiction at the Main Library on 29 January.
The focus will be on how to spot warning signs and have the difficult – but necessary – conversation about gambling with young people.
You can already sign up for the theme evening on gambling addiction right here: