Canada

Is Gaming Actually Bad for Students?

Published

1 year ago

January 31, 2023

Is Gaming Actually Bad for Students?

Gaming has a bad reputation among non-gamers. However, why is it so? The history of gaming may be partly at fault here. As soon as video games entered our homes, they completely captivated children’s minds and attention. They grew obsessed with various games, which changed their lifestyles and habits. Such a change of heart disturbed parents and adults, forcing them to simply claim how games distract young people from studying, socializing, and healthy physical activity. Since then, gaming has been deemed a waste of time and not good for school or college kids, earning it a rather negative reputation.

However, decades and many, many games later, young people enjoy gaming more than ever. In fact, it is one of the fastest-growing and most profitable industries in the world, where students remain its biggest consumers. So, what does such a dynamic have to prove to us? Perhaps, there is something about gaming that non-gamers simply don’t understand. Is gaming such bad news for students? Or, perhaps, it can be beneficial, and young gamers actually know what they are doing. Let’s see how gaming can impact students’ lives and school performance.

Gaming as a stress reliever

Non-gamers always argue about how gaming can make young people more aggressive, stressed, or anxious. Saying that games are too violent or scary to play and make kids experience the negative consequences in real life. Well, the truth is quite different. It has been proven again and again that gaming doesn’t make people more aggressive or angry. In fact, video games help kids to relax. Indeed, gaming can be quite a stress reliever for young people.

After all, college can be very stressful and intense. Students feel pressured and worried. These negative emotions often get bottled up with no visible escape in real life. Gaming can help students release those bad emotions through playing. They get to experience a range of feelings that can be almost therapeutic in a way. Hence, a few hours of gaming a week can help young people cope with their emotions and improve their mental health.

Gaming for building skills

It may be surprising to learn, but gaming actually has a lot to teach young people. Truly, most computer games come with numerous lessons that college kids must learn to complete games and grow in their gaming craft. For example, one of such lessons can be problem-solving skills. In games, players have to deal with endless challenges to move on further in the plot. Thus, they also have to apply logic, analytical skills, critical thinking, and more. All those skills are essential not only in gaming but in academia.

So, gamers polish such valuable skills while playing to apply them in college later. These lessons help students approach their school challenges with confidence. Of course, computer games cannot teach young people all the lessons and skills they need for school. Fortunately, in such a case, they often turn to paper writing help on writepaperfor.me. There they can find professional solutions and assistance.

Still, games can be a great way for students to build and practice those skills. Plus, gaming also teaches young people determination. They barely have any choice but to learn and progress to move further in the game.

When gaming goes wrong

We can see that gaming, overall, can be rather beneficial to young minds. However, there are certain limits to such advantages. As we all know, everything is healthy in moderation. When gaming turns from a habit into an addiction, students start having problems. Gaming addiction is as serious as any other. Such obsession with digital worlds can affect one’s lifestyle, physical and mental health, and, of course, school performance.

Sure, not all students reach such a point in their love of gaming. However, those who do require help. It is hard to acknowledge and get over an addiction without external help and internal motivation. Here are some signs when gaming goes wrong:

Constant thinking about gaming;
feeling the need to play every day;
prioritizing gaming, oversleeping, school, personal relationships, etc.;
inability to quit;
having no interest or desire to do other things than gaming;
dropping in school performance.

These are some of the most obvious signs that you or someone you know needs help overcoming their gaming addiction. However, such a condition is rather an exception than a rule, and it often takes other factors, like mental health issues, to fall into the given addiction. Hence, it is worth going to the roots of the problem, seeing gaming as just one of the symptoms.

Bottom line

Gaming doesn’t have to be bad for students. It is all about how they approach it and how much time they dedicate to gaming each week. As long as gaming doesn’t interfere with their personal lives and studying, gaming can be a positive thing for their mental health and even school performance. Games can be a fun platform to build valuable skills and learn relatable life lessons.

Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO)

Soft2Bet strengthens integrity monitoring with IBIA membership in Ontario

Published

23 hours ago

May 6, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

soft2bet-strengthens-integrity-monitoring-with-ibia-membership-in-ontario

Soft2Bet, a leading casino and sportsbook platform provider, has joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and activated its membership in Ontario, Canada, following its licensing in the Canadian province.

Soft2bet obtained its Certificate of Registration from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) at the end of March, where the company’s Ontario-focused brand Tooniebet.com will now feed into IBIA’s world-leading sports betting integrity monitoring platform before worldwide implementation in the coming months.

IBIA includes over 50 of the world’s leading sports betting and gaming companies, who operate over 125 sports betting brands. Soft2Bet’s decision to join the association further strengthens its own internal betting integrity protocols and IBIA’s position as the world’s leading sports betting integrity monitoring body.

David Yatom Hay, General Counsel at Soft2Bet, commented: “Soft2Bet is delighted to be joining the IBIA as we strengthen our own betting integrity monitoring processes and play our part in furthering the IBIA’s long-standing work on this key issue. Ontario is a world class iGaming jurisdiction; it will be the first market where we will implement our IBIA membership and we look forward to deploying the monitoring infrastructure worldwide in all the other markets in which we operate.”

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “Soft2Bet is a very welcome addition to IBIA, further strengthening our position in the Ontario market. The operator’s decision to join IBIA demonstrates its desire to utilise the best integrity protection available for its sportsbook product. The association is delighted to be able to integrate Tooniebet within our integrity monitoring system and looks forward to working closely with Soft2Bet to maintain the high integrity of its sportsbook.”

IBIA is a not-for-profit body that has no competing conflicts with the delivery of commercial services to other sectors and is run by operators and for operators to protect regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets.

Through the IBIA monitoring network it is possible to track transactional activities linked to individual customer accounts. IBIA members generate more than $300bn in annual betting turnover (handle), accounting for approximately 50% of the global commercial regulated land-based and online sports betting sector, and in excess of 50% for online alone.

IBIA recently released a report on the Availability of Sports Betting Products which highlighted Ontario as a leading regulated gambling jurisdiction, with an expected onshore channelisation for sports betting of 92% in 2024 forecast to rise to 97% in2028. IBIA currently represents over 60% of the private sports betting operators licensed in the province. All online sportsbetting operators licensed in Ontario are required to be part of a betting integrity monitoring body.

IBIA’s Q1 2024 report detailed 56 alerts during the quarter. IBIA alerts contributed to the investigations and subsequent successful sanctioning of 21 clubs, players and officials in 2023, an increase on the 15 sanctioned in 2022.

British Columbia Lottery Corporation

SCCG Management Signs Contract with British Columbia Lottery Corporation

Published

1 week ago

April 29, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

sccg-management-signs-contract-with-british-columbia-lottery-corporation

SCCG Management has signed a contract with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), the B.C. Crown corporation which conducts and manages commercial gambling in the province, including lotteries, casinos, and online gaming. This partnership aims to undertake a comprehensive assessment and strategic enhancement of BCLC’s diverse operations.

The work between SCCG and BCLC will involve a thorough review of technological infrastructures, strategic market positioning, and the integration of various gaming modalities. SCCG’s extensive expertise will be pivotal in harmonizing BCLC’s online and physical gaming experiences.

Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management, said: “Our collaboration with BCLC represents a remarkable opportunity to push the boundaries of innovation within the gaming industry. We are committed to deploying our resources and expertise to enhance BCLC’s operational efficiencies and customer engagement strategies. It’s an honor to partner with an organization that has a robust impact on the community through its support of public initiatives.”

AGCO

AGCO Requires Ontario Gaming Operators to Stop Offering WBA Bets Due to Integrity Concerns

Published

2 weeks ago

April 22, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

agco-requires-ontario-gaming-operators-to-stop-offering-wba-bets-due-to-integrity-concerns

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has mandated all Ontario-registered sportsbook operators to halt offering and accepting wagers on World Boxing Association (WBA) events immediately. This measure is being taken to protect the Ontario betting public following concerns that WBA-sanctioned boxing matches are not adequately being safeguarded against match-fixing and insider betting.

Since December 2023, the AGCO has been conducting a comprehensive review of suspicious wagering activity on a WBA-sanctioned title fight between Yoenis Tellez and Livan Navarro that was held in Orlando, Florida. Suspicious betting patterns on the bout lasting over 5.5 rounds were reported to the AGCO by two registered independent integrity monitors and detected in Ontario by a registered igaming operator. Media reports also alleged that Tellez’s Manager placed $110,000 on the match lasting longer than 5.5 rounds at a Florida casino. The bout ended with Tellez knocking out Navarro in the 10th round.

Following an intensive review that included outreach to the WBA, Ontario-registered gaming operators, independent integrity monitors, and regulators in other jurisdictions, the AGCO has concluded that bets related to WBA events do not currently meet the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming.

The AGCO requires all Ontario-registered gaming operators to ensure the sport betting products they offer are on events that are effectively supervised by a sport governing body. At a minimum, the sport governing body must have and enforce codes of conduct that prohibit betting by insiders.

Registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate to the AGCO that the WBA prohibits betting from insiders, which could include an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals, or others with access to non-public information. Further, registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate that the WBA took any action to investigate or enforce the allegations of potential match-fixing and insider wagering.

The AGCO has indicated to registered operators that in order for WBA betting products to be reinstated in Ontario, operators must demonstrate that the WBA effectively supervises its events, thus bringing them into compliance with the Registrar’s Standards. In December 2022, the AGCO required gaming operators to stop offering bets on UFC events for similar issues related to insider betting safeguards. Within a month, UFC amended its policies and implemented new protocols that allowed the AGCO to reinstate betting on UFC events in the province.

“Ontarians who wish to bet on sporting events need to be confident that those events are fairly run, and that clear integrity safeguards are in place and enforced by an effective sport governing body. Knowing the popularity of boxing in Ontario, we look forward to reinstating betting on WBA events once appropriate safeguards against possible match-fixing and insider betting have been confirmed,” Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and CEO of AGCO, said.