Smart Choices, Recognizing Problem Gambling, program teaches children and youth in grades K-12 about problem gambling, its impact and prevention. It teaches them skills and best practices to avoid becoming a problem gambler. The Smart Choices program uses different approaches to offer this service to the target group.

 Drama Presentations and Drama Games:

Smart Choices program offers a free interactive and educational Drama Presentation for students, youth, or children (participants)! Professional actors use a skit-based performance to introduce topics of betting/gambling and problem gambling, its impacts and prevention. This drama presentation comes to your school/group or centre and is aimed at Grade k–12 students/children. The presentation lasts about 30 to 45 minutes. The program also offers interactive and engaging Drama Games to participant children or students. The professional actors engage children /youth and do educational and fun games with these participants (teaching and entertaining them at the same time).

2. Classroom Workshops：

Smart Choices workshops are excellent alternatives or follow-up to the drama presentation to get students learning more about problem gambling, its impacts and prevention, betting, daring, how gambling starts and mature to problem gambling, personal strengths and healthy decision making. This program fits into the Alberta Education curriculum in the areas of health, language and arts. We use games, activities and discussions to engage youth and children in elementary, junior high or high school, summer camp and other youth centers in a 30 to 45 minutes session.

3. Table Displays：

Smart Choices can also provide a table display perfect for a library or classroom. A Smart Choices representative will stay with the display to answer questions and hand out small prizes (program information materials).

What is gambling?

Gambling is risking money or something that is important to you in an activity with and uncertain outcome. Just because you might not be old enough to go into a casino doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways that you can gamble.

Gambling can be:

• Betting, daring or playing for keeps
• Buying scratch tickets

• Poker, playing cards, etc.
• Betting on the outcome of a sporting event or videogame

This means you have to be careful about gambling at any age!

Why should I care about gambling?

There is a difference between gambling and PROBLEM gambling.

8% of teenagers today are considered to be problem gamblers. Another 15% are at-risk for becoming problem gamblers. Youth are twice as likely as adults to become problem gamblers.

What are the signs of a gambling problem?

Gambling may be a problem for you or someone you care about if:

• You have trouble controlling the amount of money and time you spend on gambling
• You have arguments at home about money and gambling
• You lie about the amount of money you spent on gambling, and lie about the amount of money you have won or lost

• You borrow money and then can’t pay it back because of gambling
• You skip school for reasons related to gambling

If you or someone you care about is suffering from a gambling problem, please call: 1-866-332-2322

Alberta Health Services
Addiction and Mental Health

Supported by:

ASSIST Community Services Centre
Alberta Health Services (AHS) Addictions and Mental Health

For more information or to book a presentation for your school, class, youth group or summer camp,

please contact Dereje Berenda (DJ) at (780) 429-3111 ext. # 306, or  dereje.berenda@assistcsc.org