Gambling losses are at a record high, with Australians reportedly losing hundreds of millions on a monthly basis. While pokie machines have held their status as one of the most popular casino games around, it’s the increase in sports betting that is reportedly the cause for players going belly up. These alarming new statistics have sparked cause for concern, with the Australian government launching an investigation into the effects of online gambling.
Castello raised a valid point and compared gambling promotion to cigarette ads, where the latter posed similar concerns, particularly because minors were being exposed to such advertisements. Granted, nowadays tobacco adverts are prohibited in their entirety, and the regulatory bodies pertaining to the gambling sector should follow suit in this respect. There are other means to promote this pastime and its operators offering such services can still benefit from them. Indeed, said alternatives include informative guides, opinion pieces, or even unbiased write-ups like this ACC Jackpot Jill Review – all of which provide readers and potential customers to make responsible, educated decisions.
Call For Ban
Public health experts as well as anti-gambling advocates will need to wait and see what comes out of the parliamentary inquiry, with many, including Labor MP Peta Murphy, calling for tighter restrictions on gambling advertisements before and after live sporting events are broadcast. The disdain for this type of advertising is shared across party lines, with the leader of the opposition, Peter Dutton, and prime minister Anthony Albanese both lobbying for change.
Dr. Samantha Thomas, a gambling and health researcher at Deakin University, has rallied behind the effective ban on gambling advertisements, calling for lawmakers to recognize betting as a public health issue. Thomas stated that the newly imposed regulations will help protect children from being exposed to betting promotions and marketing materials prematurely.
Thomas also noted that her research revealed that children are able to quote gambling advertisements and identify different gambling companies based on their brand colors. Most alarming of all, children are also able to recall the technical aspects of betting. She went on to compare betting advertisements to those of tobacco companies, stating that similarly, gambling harm prevention policies must remain protected from those who profit from the industry.
The ACMA
The Australian Communications and Media Authority also called for the government to take action and protect children as well as vulnerable individuals. The ACMA revealed that the number of gambling inquiries and complaints has been increasing at an alarming rate since 2018, exposing the current restrictions’ failure to meet community expectations. These include concerns over the number of gambling ads shown during family-friendly programming when children are present, as well as on social apps used by vulnerable individuals like Facebook, Google, and YouTube.
Since July 2018, the ACMA has completed over 11 investigations into advertising compliance, uncovering breaches of industry codes of conduct and online rules. In May of that same year, the Turnball government restricted gambling advertisements between 5 am and 8:30 pm on broadcast television and altogether banned promotions 5 minutes before and after the game. ACMA revealed that these restrictions helped tremendously for broadcast media; however, online streaming services have given rise to new issues as they are not subject to the same regulations, leaving vulnerable children exposed.
Cause For Concern
Tim Costello, a spokesman for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, compared gambling in Australia to the National Rifle Association in America, due to the industry’s entanglement in politics constantly preventing any meaningful change from taking place. Recent figures from Australia’s Productivity Commission have revealed that more than 400 Australians commit suicide each year due to the effects of gambling harm.
Although advertising has been proven to contribute to gambling addiction, Mr. Costello also highlighted the gambling devices that fuel our brains with dopamine and cause individuals to continuously crave that good feeling. For addicts, gambling represents a safe space where real-life problems simply don’t exist as the excitement and thrill of potentially earning a big payout take over.
While we might not see a complete ban on betting advertising, it is essential that the Australian government continue to put forth restrictions shielding children from such promotional materials. We are already seeing change put into action, with the government in New South Wales recently imposing bans on ads that promote “VIP lounges” or anything of that nature in an effort to curb gambling losses.
Although it remains to be seen whether this will have an impact on the number of losses, it is essential for lawmakers to band together to effect change and put the well-being of individuals before profit margins
