Community Map
This activity explores how common gambling premises may be in your local community. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on why gambling participation might be higher in some areas than others.
Time:
25-30min
Resources:
Flip-chart, felt-tip pens
Method
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Ask the group to draw the map of their town/neighbourhood, with main streets and the places they go to most often (e.g. schools, parks, leisure centres, their homes).
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Then ask them to locate on that map the places where someone could gamble: bookmakers, casinos, bingo halls, shops selling scratch cards and lottery tickets, etc.
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You may also want to consider asking the group to identify pubs and cash points nearby, and facilitate conversations around how they link in with gambling behaviour.
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Look together at the completed map they have created: discuss how they think the number and location of gambling opportunities may influence people’s gambling behaviour, and how it might also be affected by other factors such as the presence of cashpoints and pubs.
Alternative options:
This activity could be used to explore the disproportion between the number of gambling venues located in deprived communities, compared to the venues located in more affluent areas. To do this, you may want to support the young people in deciding which areas to pick.