This page contains information for parents and carers about how to talk to young people about the potential risks of gaming. Download this page as a PDF (137KB) or Word .docx (1MB).
Talking to young people about gaming
Talking to young peoples about the risks of gaming can help protect them when they come into contact with gambling.
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Ask your school to book a parent information session
Ask your child's school to host a free Be Ahead of the Game information session for parents and carers of secondary school-aged students. These free, 1-hour, online sessions help equip parents and carers with confidence and knowledge to talk to young people about the risks of gaming. Find out more.
Gaming conversation tips
- Talk about the topic regularly: Make it a normal topic of conversation by bringing it up regularly in casual settings.
- Ask questions: Learning what gaming means to a young person can help you understand them better. Ask for, and listen to, young people’s opinions about gaming without judgement. Show an interest in understanding their technology, the apps and websites they enjoy.
- Explain how games are designed: Many games are designed to keep you playing and spending - that's how they make money! Game features such as loot boxes and microtransactions use similar mechanisms to gambling to encourage continuous play.
- Help them understand the risks of gaming too much: Speak openly about the risks of gaming too much on their health and wellbeing and make it relevant to them.
Conversation starters
Some points may help to start a conversation about gaming and gambling.
- What do you like about gaming?
- Have you ever spent money in a game?
- Do you think some features in games are like gambling?
- Have you ever felt like you can’t stop gaming? What makes it difficult to stop?