An increasing number of parents seem to be planning to make a submission to a federal parliamentary inquiry into the Australian online gambling sector and the harmful impacts it has on vulnerable people, such as children and problem gamblers. The nationwide parliamentary inquiry was announced on September 15th and would involve issues such as loot boxes and advertising on live sports betting services.
As Casino Guardian reported, the probe into present regulations of the Australian online gambling industry is set to be heard by Peta Murphy MP, the chair of the House of Representatives’ standing committee on social policy and legal affairs. Ms Murphy shared that the competent authorities intended to take the current regulation into consideration and interrogate whether the country’s legislative and regulatory gambling framework was really doing what it was supposed to do in terms of tackling gambling-related harm and protecting vulnerable individuals from negative consequences associated with gambling.
At the time when the announcement was made Ms Murphy revealed that the probe would include looking at the volumes of gambling and sports betting advertising.
The nationwide parliamentary probe will seek to see what the regular people in Australia feel about whether or not the country’s regulation of the sector is actually working. So far, an increasing number of parents have shared their concerns that gambling, gambling associations and gambling the language of betting are being normalised.
Recently-Announced Parliamentary Inquiry to Assess Harm Inflicted by Gambling Advertising
The independent Member of Parliament Kate Chaney, who is also part of the aforementioned standing committee on social policy and legal affairs, has shared a view that there is a direct link between gambling-related harm and children’s exposure to advertising and in-game items such as loot boxes.
Ms Chaney shared that, according to the results of recent research, 75% of Australian children in the age group from 8 to 16 who watch sports, believe that betting on sports is absolutely normal. Gambling on sports seems to be so normalised that children are also able to name at least one sports betting operator, and about 25% of children in the same age group are able to name at least four more sports betting companies.
Problem gamblers themselves have also reported that the fact that gambling and sports betting marketing is literally everywhere nowadays, makes it even harder for them to put their compulsive gambling behaviour behind their backs. Some of them, as well as members of their families, have raised a red flag about the seriousness of the problem, saying there was no escape from such addiction.
Now, Australian parents, former problem gamblers and gambling addicts’ family members are willing to raise people’s awareness of the problem. Some of them want to see the Federal Government fully suspend gambling advertising in the country and start a campaign to inform local communities about the extent of the problem.
- Author
Daniel Williams
