The CRIOC: information and research center for the consumer organisations in Belgium: <>www.crioc.be is a public utility foundation.

A <>study (lien sur newslettre insafe)made by the CRIOC about the consumption of money games, based on a survey held in 2006 among 2305 youth aged 10 to 17, shows that 2 out of every 5 young people have already played for money. The average age at which children begin to play for money is 11 years and 8 months!

Minors of age who want to gamble online can choose from a constantly growing offer. Especially the increasing popularity of poker among the youth makes us concerned. The internet presents more and more (illegal) gambling sites. Gambling via mobile phone is also increasing. This is an international phenomenon.
In any case the gambling business is more and more moving from the café and the casino to the internet and the people's living room. And a growing number of minors are involved. Moreover, the dependence of the game is increasingly becoming the first step toward other dependences. Conclusion of the study: many youths participate in money games that are forbidden by law, but are easily or without any problem accessible through phone or internet.

In all those games, protection of young's e-privacy is the other challenge !
The commercial aim of gaming websites is to collect market data. Children are asked to disclose personal information when they subscribe to a website and through all kinds of surveys: they have to fill in their name, age, gender, address, mobile phone number, mail address, preferences for consumption goods (for themselves, their friends and their parents), comments on the products and about the website, … Cookies and other technical tricks also help advertisers to collect data. Contests and games are used because they are a simple and efficient means to gather sensitive private information. E.g.: data are given in exchange for participation in a game or while playing the game. So, talk to children about advergames and the commercial purpose of many websites ! Myspace, Facebook and other social network sites face...the same problems :because these services are offered for free, the users must accept publicity on every page : privacy protection on the edge ? Education is the best way to help children making life online what they really want , and resist commercial trap : this is the position of the CRIOC !What's the position of your association/country/friends...about this ?
Post your comment, and the CRIOC will animate the debate !