With some 33 million Britons already taking part in some kind of gambling activity in the country, and with more than half the adult population taking a punt on a weekly basis, enthusiasm from the problem gambling charities about a psychology A-level course in the final year of secondary education, being offered by the Oxford, Cambridge and The Royal Society of Arts (OCR) exam board, seems rather misplaced, and maybe a bit too late for more than 300,000 gambling addicts in the country.

No matter how the course is structured, whether looking into the psychological make up of addicts or the mental disorders that fuel gambling addiction, lessons at the end of a child's education on the consequences of gambling is only a means to put a patch on the wound. As the country readies for an onslaught of gambling products following the passing of the 2005 Gambling Act, with the approval of at least 16 new casinos and the possible relaxation on restrictions by TV and radio advertising, the idea of creating problem gambling awareness through the A-level course does not go far enough.

For years we have been insisting that Maths is the best way to foster gambling awareness and the folly of trying to beat casino/bookies/lotteries. The risks presented by gambling should be tackled at source through education at an early stage, and problem gambling will then be less prevalent. Over the years we have seen that the work done by problem gambling agencies, though helpful, is still a palliative and falls short of the mark.

The best way to serve society and the industry is to teach children about gambling and its risks at school level, where they can learn that the true odds of winning cannot be measured through a punt on the lotteries, the one arm bandits, or the turn of a card. Children and society at large must be educated on the facts that like dancing or going to a sports game, gambling is a means of entertainment, where taking part can be a costly exercise and well beyond the mere spectacle. (E-07.31.07)

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