Decisional Balance
This activity is best suited to 1-to-1 work with individuals who may be experiencing issues with their gambling behaviour. It encourages reflection on how gambling may be beneficial or damaging in their life, supporting more informed decision making.*
Time:
10-15min
Resources:
Pens
Materials to print:
Decisional Balance handout
Method
Please note that this activity is best suited to be used with young people who have already started gambling in a potentially problematic manner.
- Using the graphic below as a visual aid, ask participants to write on the bottom half the pros and cons of not changing their current gambling habits: what could happen if they were to maintain the same behaviour? How would it affect them and others around them?
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On the top half, ask participants to write down the pros and cons of decreasing their gambling: what could change? And in what way?
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Discuss what they have written: they should come to see that there are more advantages and less disadvantages in decreasing their gambling habit than not, and that there are more disadvantages and less advantages in keeping gambling as much as they are currently doing.
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You could then continue with a discussion on possible action points to make such changes happen.
Alternative options: This game can be done individually, or if appropriate in pairs or in small groups.