Nova Scotia Students Educated on Responsible Gambling
Students in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia are being educated about responsible gambling habits in a unique program sponsored by the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation.
A workshop was run this week at the Truro campus of the Nova Scotia Community College in a bid to bring important information and teach good gambling behavior to students.
The peer-to-peer program is known as Know the Score (kts2) and aims to reach students on campus and online.
There are over 32,000 post-secondary students in Nova Scotia, many of them who have left home for the first time, and the Nova Scotia gambling authority believes that they should be provided with skills to prevent problem gambling habits, especially at this stage in their lives.
Rate of Gambling Participation Grows
The director of awareness programs and communications for the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation, Barry Koen-Butt spoke about this age group. "In general, the rate of gambling participation among people between the ages of 18 to 24 continues to grow," he said.
The director said that this age group had a slightly higher risk of developing a gambling problem than the general population, which lead the corporation to sponsor the Know the Score program and take it on the road to educational institutions around the province.
"The myth of easy money is a draw for this age group who are often away from home and managing their own money for the first time," said Koen-Butt. "These young people - who may have a tendency to be risk takers - are often influenced by their social circle. That's why kts2, with its innovative peer-to-peer format is so key to reaching students both on campus and online.
Gambling Myths Dispelled on Website
On its website, Know the Score describes itself as "an interactive problem gambling awareness program that engages university and college students in a fun and informative way."
"Know the Score 2 dispels myths associated with gambling, highlights signs of problem gambling, shares local problem gambling services, and suggests ways to keep gambling safer."
Developed in 2001, the kts2 program has been delivered over 450 times to 310,000 students on campuses across Canada in provinces such as British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
After participation, 89% of students said that they felt better informed to make decisions regarding gambling, while 91% said that they retained key messages associated with the program.
