Deakin University conducted a study amongst Australian children concerning gambling and watching sports. The study revealed that 3 out of 4 sports watching Aussie children associate with sports games and gambling on the result of the games.
According to the research, it means that a lot of the kids are getting exposed to gambling at a younger age. This is concerning, and the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation (VRGR) have started the campaign to help parents talk to their kids about gambling-related harm.
“Love the game – not the odds” Campaign
The “Love the game – not the odds” campaign was aimed at parents to speak to their children about the risks of gambling. It contained a message the encouraged parents to get them to break the association the children make of sports and gambling. However, it was not only aimed at parents. Sporting clubs, schools and the communities were the secondary targets to also help in the education of kids.
Australian Children gambling Statistics
The VRGR has data that revealed that 80% of Australian children were involved in gambling. The children range between 13 and 17 years. They were engaged in sweeps, raffles, gambling among friends and buying lottery tickets.
Another concern from the data was that they were also involved with poker machines and sports betting. It concerns because there are age restrictions at both online and land-based casinos and there is also verification process.
Over 12% of children in the age category 12 to 17 years have wagered money on the internet and at physical betting facilities. The data also revealed that children between the ages of 8 and 16 years who watch sports, about 75% of them think gambling is normal. From the same age group, about 25% of them can name about four different sports betting operators.
Conclusion
According to Louise Glanville, the chief executive officer of the VRGF, parents need to have talks with their kids before minor gambling habits become a norm. She further said that the frequency of sports betting advertisements normalises gambling to young individuals and this needs to change. Hopefully, with the introduction of the “Love the game – not the odds” Campaign, there will be change.
