Mark Stockwell, an individual whose gambling addiction led to him stealing from his employer and eventually landing a jail sentence, spoke with ABC News about the harms of online betting. Given his firsthand experience with gambling addiction, Stockwell is now aiming to raise awareness regarding the issue in the hopes that others, young people especially, will not follow in his footsteps.
Stockwell described how wagering on horse racing and AFL games turned into a daily habit thanks to how easy it was for him to place bets on his phone, and that funding this level of expenditure required him to take out as many as 10 credit cards. As a result, he struggled to pay his bills and eventually resorted to stealing donations originally designated for a cancer charity in order to pay his incurred debts. He was subsequently charged with theft and sent to jail in 2020.
According to Stockwell, winning would convince him that he “could do it all the time.” He warned that, in reality, wagering leads to a losing bet nine times out of 10. He also put an emphasis on how, regardless of one’s efforts, it is impossible to avoid exposure to gambling due to the prominence of the advertisement of betting and how “it is constantly in your face.”
Another person to talk about the matter with ABC News was Tony Hallam, chief executive of the Boomers. He spoke against the normalisation of the relationship between sports and betting and deemed the overwhelming presence of gambling ads to be “degrading” when it comes to sports.
The Regulatory Issue of Gambling Advertisements
Carol Bennett, CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, also spoke with ABC News and called for stricter regulation of sports betting, as data has shown that over 70% of Australians are against wagering on sports or believe sports betting ads should be prohibited. She further pointed out that even 10-year-old children have partaken in sports betting and that the future generation could continue the trend of Australians being “the world’s biggest losers per capita when it comes to gambling.”
Bennett’s stance reflects the views of the Alliance for Gambling Reform. In a response issued to the Australian Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs’ 2023 inquiry regarding online gambling, the Alliance was in support of proposals surrounding the banning of online gambling ads.
Other recommendations that the Alliance supported had to do with a more centralised approach towards gambling regulation. Currently, gambling regulation in Australia is largely handled on a state-by-state basis, with entities like the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, the Liquor & Gaming NSW, and others monitoring their respective territories. The Australian Communications and Media Authority’s oversight does encompass the advertising of gambling as well, but its efforts are largely centred around the unlawful advertising of illegal off-shore gambling websites.
If the Alliance-approved proposals come to fruition, Australian legislation could see the development of a national strategy when it comes to online gambling harm reduction, the establishment of a national regulator, and the requirement for the gambling industry to fund measures proposed by the said regulator through an industry-wide levy. The Alliance also agreed with plans to make identity verification mandatory for individuals who want to gamble online as opposed to the current practice of only requiring verification prior to withdrawals.
- Author
Daniel Williams
