One in four 15–16-year-olds gambled for money, HERA calls it a public‑health problem

One in four pupils aged 15–16 in North Macedonia gambled for money during the past 12 months, the ESPAD 2024 national survey shows: 25% overall, split 34% of boys and 16% of girls. The data were published by the Association for Health Education and Research – HERA Youth together with the "Throw the Dice!" initiative on the occasion of International Youth Day (12 August).

HERA and the initiative warn that the share of problem gambling among those who gamble has risen from 4.5% in 2019 to 7.6% in 2024. They link the trend to easy access to betting venues and to a difficult social and economic environment for young people.

"Casinos, betting shops, online platforms and advertisements promising 'quick profit' are easily accessible in an environment where young people simultaneously face unemployment, financial insecurity, impaired mental health and a growing desire to leave the country. The data already raise the alarm with worrying numbers," HERA said.

Local activists note the density of gambling outlets in central urban areas. In Centar municipality there are 60 casinos and betting shops — more than the total number of children's and sports playgrounds combined, the group "Chance for Centar" says.

New law sets 500-metre buffer from schools

Parliament adopted a new Law on Games of Chance and Amusement Games on 29 June that introduces stricter regulation for the sector. The law requires a minimum distance of 500 metres between gambling venues and primary and secondary schools as a protective measure for minors. The Ministry of Finance says the reforms also aim to strengthen oversight to reduce the grey economy and prevent financial abuse, and that the text complies with international anti-money-laundering and counter-terror financing standards.

Practical questions remain about enforcement, since in many towns — including in the centre of the capital — casinos and bookmakers are located almost directly opposite elementary schools and kindergartens. To reduce youth gambling, HERA and the "Throw the Dice!" initiative call for consistent application of distance rules, strict control of advertising (especially online and on social media), and improved access to mental health services and financial literacy for young people.

The organisations also point to wider social drivers: youth unemployment among 15–29-year-olds in 2024 was 23.6%, a Friedrich Ebert Foundation youth study found that 45.3% of employed young people do not work in the profession they trained for, and 67.7% of young people report some desire to emigrate, often for higher wages and better job opportunities. "Young people are expected to study, to work, to stay in the country and to build a secure future themselves. And what does the environment offer them? Uncertain incomes, few opportunities and gambling at every step as a promise of an easier life. We do not want our country to be bitterly addressed by young people as 'the Gambling Republic of Macedonia'. But precisely this message today expresses our outrage at a society in which it is sometimes easier to find a bookmaker than a cultural centre," the groups said.

Photo: ХЕРА)