The main concept of slot games is to look appealing, enticing and draw people into wanting to play free spins games. This is done through the use of impressive, high-end graphics, fun theme music and catchy themes that will attract the attention of any player. Some games online are only appealing to the older players, the designated players, such as Blackjack and Roulette. They have been intended for this purpose and also require a certain degree of skill which no child would be able to determine without assistance. But this is not the same with slot games as they require no prior knowledge at all and they are really tantalising for children. Unfortunately, the nature of slot games lends itself to being very naturally child-friendly, though this is not usually the intention.
Jack and the Beanstalk
A good example of a previously child-friendly slot, created with every intention of being played by children, was that of Jack and the Beanstalk. It was based on the well-known fairy tale and captured the imagination of every adolescent as they learned how to gamble from a screen. Though many of these young players did not gamble for monetary stakes and used the Free Play options instead so as to avoid the age checks, the act of participation still had the same effects on the users. Age verification checks are now compulsory on all gaming and gambling sites.
It didn’t take long before the hugely popular slots game of Jack and the Beanstalk, along with many other child-friendly slots games, were banned by Parliament. Many changes came about because of this, with one of the largest and most important being that of ads on children’s websites never advertising gaming or gambling. Though slots games often still have cute characters, charming backdrops and innovative themes, they should always be aimed at adult users over the legal age required of that country.
Children Playing Slots
It was thought that children who spent time playing on slots would develop all sorts of negative habits and lifestyles. Underaged users of slots games were set to spiral into a world of potential debt, addiction, and crime, wreaking havoc on their own lives as well as their families. Children are seen as being too vulnerable to be able to participate in playing on slots games both online or in a casino setting.
It was also thought that slots play would result in a detrimental outcome to their schooling and educational attainment. This is because there have been links made between the use of slot machines and playing truant from the school setting, underperforming, and the abuse of multiple substances which blur the mind and impact studying, brain development and fact retention, such as drugs and alcohol. Levels of aggression were higher in studies of children who played on slots.
Playing on slot machines as a child is said to result in being more likely to gamble as an adult. This can lead to many different problems such as depression, bankruptcy and in the worst-case scenario, suicide.
