How to Block Ontario Gambling Sites on Kids' Phones
Gambling can be a great source of entertainment for adults, but in recent years we’ve seen an alarming trend of underage users placing cash bets with mobile casinos and other iGaming sites. Although most provinces in Canada only permit legal gambling for those aged 19 and over, the proliferation of smartphones and child-friendly mobile devices has led to a surge in problematic gambling in the underage demographic. If you’re a parent or carer looking to shield your child from gambling and keep them safe when they’re using their mobile, let’s take a look at some steps you can take to limit or block the availability of gambling sites in the province of Ontario.
Gambling Blocker Software / Tools
In recent years, we’ve seen the emergence of a wide range of gambling blocker tools and other software designed to promote responsible gambling and proactively remove or inhibit access to gambling sites. Some of the most internationally popular gambling blocker software brands include GamBlock, GamBan, BetBlocker and Goodbye Gambling. Thus far, such software has been proven to be effective in reducing potentially problematic gambling behavior in adults. This is especially true for self-exclusion systems, which enable casino users to voluntarily remove themselves from gambling sites for a specified period if they feel they’re struggling to control their finances or wagering. It’s illegal for minors to make bets online, but gambling reduction tools can be applied to kids’ phones if parents feel that their child is at risk. Aside from a worrying rise in cell phone addiction amongst kids, it’s thought that such tools could also help to reduce the increasing number of underage gamblers in Canada. Let’s examine some of the most popular tools and software in a little more detail.
More Detailed Information on Blocker Software in Canada
In response to the increase of problematic gambling across all age groups, many of the best online casinos now offer their members comprehensive access to a range of efficient safer gambling tools. These are designed to limit or remove access to gambling sites on either a short-term or long-term basis, depending on what’s best for you as a player. The most popular of these include award-winning brands such as Gamban, which offers flexible pricing ranging from 2.49 (monthly) to 24.99 (annually) - it’s also possible to make use of a 7-day free Gamban trial before purchase. GamBlock is another popular option that’s been specifically designed to prevent and block underage gambling - it provides a tiered range of flexible services and payment options designed for various devices, including those powered by Windows, Samsung and Android. If you’re interested in a low-cost option that ticks all the boxes when it comes to reducing gambling-related harm amongst children and adults alike, you could find that Goodbye Gambling is your best bet. After an initial free 3-day trial, users can access the Goodbye Gambling service for as little as 5.00 per month. Alternatively, if you want to set up an effective, safer gambling tool on your child’s phone for free, you could find that BetBlocker is a preferable option. BetBlocker is completely free and can be installed on unlimited devices - it will effectively limit your child’s access to more than 6000 popular gambling sites worldwide. Essentially, which gambling blocker software is best for you and your child’s phone will depend on your budget and the duration of time you wish to remove access to potentially harmful sites. Ensure that you read up on reviews before committing, especially if you choose to go with a paid service.
Shifting Perspective
While there is currently a wide array of quality bet-blocking services available, a great way to reduce your child’s potential interest in gambling is by ‘reclaiming’ their smartphones or reducing their access to them altogether. By purchasing a traditional ‘brick phone’ for your child rather than a top-of-the-range smartphone, you could immediately eliminate their access to potentially harmful websites and other online services primarily designed for adult use. If your child does own a smartphone, try to influence their thinking and attitude towards its use - this can be effectively achieved by limiting screen time, removing certain apps and encouraging face-to-face interactions rather than fostering a reliance on social media. You can also limit the functionality of your child’s smartphone so that it is mainly used for making and receiving phone calls and text messages rather than surfing the web. Because we live in an increasingly digital age, that doesn’t mean you can’t exert some parental authority to simplify smartphone use and keep your child safe.
Tallying Savings
Another fantastic way of instigating a psychological shift related to your child’s smartphone use is by incentivizing breaks from the device itself. This could include putting aside a certain amount of money at regular intervals and rewarding your child once they’ve completed a smartphone-free day, week or month - you could find that these weekly savings quickly add up. If your child is an enthusiastic gamer, try to encourage video gaming on a console rather than a smartphone device hooked up to the internet - this will enable them to enjoy the games that they love without encountering the potential risk that inherently exists with web-accessible smartphones. Where possible, try to instigate physical gaming sessions, whether that be playing board games as a family or participating in sports teams ‘in real life.’ Remember to consistently reward good behaviour (in this case, abstinence from smartphones and mobile devices) to ensure your child is satisfied and stimulated without needing an internet connection. If your kid slips up and breaks the rules, don’t hesitate to take away their potential reward and discipline them wherever necessary! Most importantly, never encourage gambling or betting, even if it’s a free wager just for fun. You can model behaviour for your kids by avoiding gambling yourself.
Nuclear Option: Taking Away the Phone
If you feel as though you’ve exhausted every option and your child is not receptive to your incentives and behaviour modelling, it might be time to take the phone away, however difficult this may seem. It’s crucial that you remove physical access to smartphones, especially if you feel that your child could be vulnerable to gambling sites or if you’ve tried and failed to implement safer gambling tools on their mobile device. In the past decade, adults and children alike have increasingly relied on smartphones to socialize and entertain themselves. By removing access to mobile devices altogether, you should be able to better monitor your child’s activities and take a more proactive approach to controlling or influencing their behaviour online. For instance, you could lock the smartphone away (and only bring it out for pre-arranged sessions) or even sell the device altogether. Although this could lead to some initial family drama and sulking, it could be the most reliable way to keep your child safe from gambling online, especially if you feel that you’ve already tried everything else!
Conclusion
Excessive smartphone use amongst kids has been linked to addiction, reduced attention span and poor socialization - by removing or limiting their access to mobile devices, you could find that they benefit significantly in the long run. This is especially true when it comes to accessing online gambling sites, which have become increasingly popular amongst underage users. Always remember that gambling is a strictly adult activity that should be treated with the respect and caution that it deserves. If you feel that your child is at risk of developing a gambling habit or getting in over their head with websites that are not age-appropriate, don’t hesitate to step in and keep them safe by blocking access altogether, whether this is the physical removal of their devices or the implementation of safer gambling tools and software. You could find that by limiting access to gambling, gamification and smartphone use when they’re young, your child could carry a responsible attitude to gambling into adulthood.
