NGO sounds alarm over 430,000 U-16 betting online in Australia

Australia is one of the world’s most betting nations, and this does not exclude underage individuals according to new data presented by the Alliance for Gambling Reform in a media release. Based on the organization's findings, at least 430,000 children are likely to be already gambling in the country, using an online website. All of these children are under the age of 16, warns the Alliance for Gambling Reform and paints an unflattering picture of how the country has been dealing with the issue.

Reverend Tim Costello, an advocate for the organization, has criticized the lack of a strong regulatory response on gambling advertisement, leading to an ecosystem that is able to groom children and turn them into gamblers with "impunity." Costello has recently spoken to policymakers who are working to review gambling laws in the country to create better safeguards for those most vulnerable groups in society.

While Costello has previously condemned people for being only too happy to place a wager, over the years, he has changed his stance to better reflect the reality – that is, not sufficient regulation is introduced to make sure that consumers are protected. The Alliance for Gambling Reform argues that 432,000 children in the country are gamblers and participate in online betting today.

Out of them, 14,400 are in fact problem gamblers, and 38,400 are at an increased risk of becoming such if there are no preventative measures. Costello has used his position to blast regulators in the country and argues that they are barely doing enough.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority, a watchdog that has so far suspended 642 illegal gambling sites, was described as a "toothless tiger" when it comes down to gambling advertisement, Costello remonstrated. Naturally, there has been a debate over the advertisement of gambling products in the country.

On the one hand, New South Wales earlier this year proposed bigger fines on advertisement practices that go against the code of conduct. ACMA has been actively looking to play its role, too, despite Costello’s criticism, with the regulator acting against Seven Network and Nine network over alleged breaches of gambling advertisement rules.

Meanwhile, the nation has been keener to introduce smarter gambling messages which focus on the negative with taglines such as "Imagine what you could be buying instead," and "you win some. You lose more." Interestingly, the Australian public is already largely opposedto gambling advertisements – more so than the ads run by the tobacco and oil industry.

Some stakeholders, though, have cautioned that leaning too heavily on a restrictive ban could be bad for sports, with Sportsbet and Ladbrokes defending their advertising practices.

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