4.7 Harm reduction advice

This section provides harm reduction advice for gambling-like gaming activities. For advice on preventing harmful gaming, and more information on the risks and benefits of gaming for young people, we recommend:

Advice for young people and families on gambling-like gaming activities:

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    Think about how much each game costs you
    Consider the ongoing costs of playing a game before downloading it, including subscription fees and any in-game purchases.

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    Set spending limits and track your spending
    It can be easy to lose track of gaming spend, so make a point of setting spending limits. Then keep track to make sure you are able to stick to your limits.

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    Use gift cards for purchases rather than debit or credit cards
    Buy gift cards with pre-set credit, instead of linking debit or credit cards to your gaming accounts.

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    Use parental controls
    Set up parental controls to limit credit card access for gaming accounts. Consider setting these controls up with your child – it’s a good opportunity to discuss risks, limit-setting, and the value of online purchases.

  • Set up email notifications for purchases
    Link gaming accounts to an email address that you use regularly, so that any new purchases send you a notification.

For more general gambling harm reduction advice, and information about gambling education best practice, see Chapter 3.