‘A massive public health problem’: Australian children as young as 10 are hooked on gambling

Steven* started gambling online when he was just 10 years old, and by 15 he had lost about $2, 000, leaving him with shame and despair. He remembers gambling away his $500 birthday gift when he was 12. "I was late to school because I didn't want to leave my computer," he says.

• Subscribe to The Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily roundup of the latest news.

A joint study by Federation University and Victorian Coroner's Court published last month found that 184 of the state's 4, 788 suicides between 2009 and 2016 were gambling-related.

Of those, 14 were young people aged between 17 and 24.

More than monetary loss

Australians lose about $25 billion a year on legal gambling, the largest per capita loss in the world, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

New South Wales expresses concern over amount of gambling ads but doesn't support total ban Read more

Children grow up with gambling built into the sports they play and watch, and the online environment offers innovative ways to market gambling to them. A survey of Victorian secondary school students found that almost a third had gambled in the past 30 days.

Stephen recalls that he first came into contact with gambling through influencer and online video game ads. "Some people would put links to gambling sites in the name of the video game to get extra credits for the gambling site.

"YouTube was very popular for influencers to promote gambling sites, and I would watch other people on YouTube gambling with funds deposited from sponsored gambling sites."

Professor Samantha Thomas of Deakin University, a public health sociologist, has spoken to thousands of young Australians and their parents about gambling over the past decade.

Her research has found that eight-year-olds are attracted to gambling ad content, and have high brand recognition and detailed memory for the ad content.

Experts say gambling companies are constantly updating their technology to increase the social aspect of betting. Photo Nadir Kinani/The Guardian

“Celebrity endorsements, influencer endorsements, cashback campaigns and so-called reduced-risk promotions have the most impact on young people, especially in that they make them think gambling is risk-free,” Thomas said.

“The gambling industry is one of the most agile, high-tech and health-threatening industries we’ve ever seen.”

According to Thomas, gambling companies are constantly updating their skills to strengthen gambling social aspects. In particular, technological innovations that appeal to children include the "Friends and Chat" functions in the betting app, and the tiktok videos that are displayed as sponsored in the feeds of children and advertise betting casually.

‘If you have a debit card, you can bet’

At the online video game casino, virtual items called "skin" and "loot boxes" purchased in the game can be exchanged for currency, and that currency can be gambling.

"If you win, you can buy virtual items using website currency and sell it in actual cash," Steven says. Some virtual items are very high and rare, so they are one form of virtual currency, and may be resold in the secondary market price in the secondary market.

Gambling companies have been accused of using a major cigarette method seeking to alleviate regulations. Read more

"Even if you lose items, you only need to buy a virtual item for gambling." I can completely avoid age restrictions of gambling 18 years old. I started. "

How do kids gamble with 'skins' and 'loot boxes'?

Many youth are first gambling through video games, such as "Women's Box" and "Skin."

A loot box is a virtual item that can be purchased or acquired in a video game, which contains random rewards, and some are more rare than others. According to experts, loot boxes share many characteristics, so they are "psychological similar to gambling."

Skin is a virtual item, which can be obtained as a reward in play in the game or purchased from the game. Skin is usually cosmetics, for example, can change the appearance of weapons in the game and the appearance of the character, but most of them do not affect the play. Some skins are one form of cryptocurrencies, and are rare and rare that they are resold in the secondary market for thousands of dollars. Skin can also be used by gamers to bet on online games and sports results on thir d-party sites.

Children can get skins and loot through video games, and buy and get a gift card at various online marketplace such as Steam, and use that card to use skins and boots. You can also buy goods.

Then, visit the thir d-party casino site (not directly affiliated with the game) and use skin and loot as a gambling currency.

There are various types of casino games to play, from simple roulette to things that bet on video games. Players can convert the acquired prizes into various virtual skins (in many cases, resale in real money), cryptocurrency, or simply cash.

In the Interactive Gambling Act in Australia, it is illegal for casin o-style online games to play for other valuable money or skin. Overseas online casino companies have not intended to provide services to Australians, and have been fined by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Was it useful? Thank you for your feedback.

In the early twenties, James*from Melbourne also agrees that it was easy to gamble money as a child.

"When I was a student, I worked par t-time in McDonald's, but every time I got a lunch, I often grasped money." "Many gambling sites do not have a clear age limit and have restrictions, but if you have a debit card, you can bet.

"I don't know if it led to betting on Tab directly, but since I was young, the dopamine receptor was reconstructed so that I was rewarded from gambling, so there is no doubt that there is some correlation." 。

A young man who started online gambling at the age of 16 at the age of 16, saying that winning gambling is not worth suffering from an addiction. " Photo Miguel Sotomayor/Getty Images

According to Helen Pointen, a Queensland regional manager of Relationships Australia, children can also use adult credit cards to gamble. He also says that betting is rooted in Australian culture, so parents may download gambling apps and sign up on behalf of their children to avoid age restrictions.

Pointen has recently been asked to help his 13 and 1 4-yea r-old grandchild used his credit card for online gambling and had a $ 12, 000 debt. She said she didn't want to report her grandson to the police, but was trying to repay debt with the income of pensioners.

"She was overwhelmed. I introduced her as a gambling help service, but her debt is her."

A tiktok video posted on a sports bed account that advertises gambling with influencers. Photo Tik Tok

Conditioned to gamble as though it’s normal

Gambling for children and youth is not only online. According to the Growing Up in Australia Longitudinal Study for children, the most common gambling between 16 to 17 is a personal bet with friends and family, but also reporting in sports games, horse racing, and dog racing. I am.

Despite the need for age certificate to enter the gambling hall, about 9, 000 teenagers who participated in the survey reported that they had spent money in poker machines, casino table games, Keno. 。 In September, the Gambling Casino Management Committee, Victoria, prosecuted Tabcorp and eight gambling fabrics for minors 27 times.

According to a spokeswoman at the Gambling Office, a liability for New South Wales, the main gambling, under the age of 25, was a poker machine and sportsbating.

Register for afternoon update

Free daily newsletter

Australia's Afternoon Update features important news of the day and tells you what is happening and why it is important.

Regarding privacy, newsletters may include information on charity, online advertising, and external funding. See the Privacy Policy for details. It uses Google Recaptcha to protect the website and applies Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

After the news letter distribution

Young people say that apps and websites are trying to perform rapid and reckless gambling at Pocky and Betting Tables. Photo Lauren Elliott/ Reuters

Tiktok, while deleting critical videos in gambling ads, increasing the content of betting Read more

Jordyn*, who started gambling at the age of 14 and is currently working in the poker industry. "Among the most regular customers who are gambling in a way I am concerned about, there are players of young people under the age of 24."

"He is now 28 years old, saying," The young people I'm looking at tend to gamble more frequently and more, as I was the worst. 。

"They tend to bet every few minutes without thinking about a small amount."

It is said that young people who participate in poker games run by high school and university are often gathered.

"I play Pocky, Roulette, Blackjack, etc. as a social place. I tend to spend money on game consoles without buying dinner or beer."

Jordin believes that advertising in the gambling industry bets on hundreds of young and inexperienced gamblers to bet on a good bet, but they are more crazy.

He says that young people are gambling quickly and recklessly in Pocky and Betting Tables.

"If you are 18 years old, opening a bet on online or apps is as easy as opening an email account.

"I have seen a completely crazy betting like betting on racing racing because a teenager happened to have the next race in Korea. It is more obsessedful and more sociable than the gambling style I have seen so far. "

‘I was in a trance’

Currently, the 2 4-yea r-old lobby*is said to have played an online game at the age of 16, gambled online, and gambling online. "There was a night when I lost all my savings, which was about $ 8, 000 at the time.

"I was completely despaired, and I felt like my hand was moving on my own, as if in a transformer state."

When he turned 18, he went to Crown Casino with only $ 20, including a 1 0-dollar table ticket that the casino distributed to new members for free.

The lobby*was gambling addiction in online games from the age of 16 and went to Crown Casino at the age of 18. Photo Joel Callet/AAP

"I came back with nearly $ 1, 000 in cash that night. In reality, I'm lucky to lose, and real addiction is strongly hit by winning. It's very difficult to shake off it, and a lifetime problem. It will be. "

According to Thomas, a survey of young people recognizes gambling as "very ordinary", but at the same time it was very critical of the gambling industry.

"They are particularly critical of advertising strategies, but that doesn't mean they are not affected by advertising strategies.

"And they strongly recognize that the government should reach out to protect themselves."

This also responds to the results of the Curtin University Faculty of Population Hygiene, about the impact of the gambling industry's marketing on young people.

In a series of interviews where researchers went to a 1 2-yea r-old and 1 7-yea r-old youth, one young man said that the gambling industry donated to politicians was "a bribe to the referee."

Gambling Reform propulsion, advertisements pointed out that children are "han d-made", develop lobby activities against the entire prohibition

Read more

The political donation from the gambling industry is "not to who give the money, but should not be allowed because it should be determined about regulations and laws based on what they think is right." Another young man told the researchers.

ABC's survey has shown last year that organizations and individuals related to the gambling industry have donated at least $ 80 million in political parties in 22 years.

Industry self-regulation ‘doesn’t work’

Professor Steve Robson, chairman of the Australian Medical Association, described young people's gambling as "serious issues in public health." "It is necessary to have more independent regulations, focusing on the vulnerable affected by the company."

Dr. Jonathan Halette of Curtin University said that many governments did the gambling industry in the same way as other harmful industries such as cigarettes, and the gambling industry donated, sel f-regulated, and the minimum of their own harm. He says that it is a problem to admit to develop a strategy to limit.

"In most cases, gambling is supervised by institutions that focus on regulations rather than prevention," says Hallett.

"It is even more problematic that these organizations see the gambling industry as a partner for policy drafting. From the experience of other harmful products, trust in industrial independent regulations will not work. It will be counterproductive or effective. It is only used to delay the regulations.

Many governments say they don't handle gambling with the same urgency as other harmful industries, such as tobacco. Photo Nadir Kinani/The Guardian

The AFL’s ‘engine’: How gambling money underpins footy

One of the central sports gambling in Australia opened millions of dollars from a gambling company to futsal. The content was surprising.

keep Login, subscribe to save articles.

Save articles for later

You can add an article to the save list and look back at any time.

Normal character size Large character size Very large character size

In early 2014, when Matthew Trip entered the office of Gilon Macrakrac, AFL's Chief Executive, he made a big vision.

At that time, he was the president of a sports gambling company called BetEasy, and knew that his main competitors, Tab, paid AFL $ 500, 000 a year to become an official league gambling partner. I wanted to get the club.

By the end of the meeting, Tripp had made a startling offer: pay $6 million, 12 times what TAB paid, and get exclusive advertising rights on AFL platforms, plus first-mover access to the official broadcasters, Seven, Fox and, at the time, Telstra. (Telstra has since lost its digital rights and is now owned by Foxtel's streaming service Kayo.)

Matthew Tripp has become a multimillionaire in Australian sports betting. Credit: Arsineh Houspian

It was a risk for the AFL to trade the well-known TAB for an unknown operation, but McLachlan appreciated Tripp's tenacity and vision for the game.

Recent reports suggest that Tripp and his consortium, which sold its remaining stake in BetEasy in 2019 in a $250 million deal, are close to a deal to help News Corp launch its own revolutionary betting company with the scale and power to rival BetEasy's parent company, Sportsbet.

For both parties, the bet has paid off. Millions of dollars have flowed into the AFL, which in 2020 signed a five-year sponsorship deal with Sportsbet. Sportsbet pays $12 million to $15 million a year in sponsorship fees, but AFL officials told The Age that the AFL only receives $6 million to $8 million of that.

Advertisement

But sponsorship is just one of four ways gambling money is funneled into Australia's most popular football game.

Television stations that pay the AFL's broadcasting rights fees are funded in part by the betting companies' huge advertising dollars. Gambling companies' terrestrial advertising, which the Andrews government threatened to scrap, is worth up to $3 million to the AFL.

Loading

And behind the scenes, an older, more lucrative deal quietly funnels money into the AFL. Few know it exists, and the AFL doesn't like to talk about it, but "product fees" are a treasure trove that experts fear is further fuelling gambling addiction.

The AFL is not alone in grappling with collective product fees. Nearly every major sporting body, including the NRL, A-League, NBL and Australian Open, has honest deals with bookmaking companies.

Trip told The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald: "If you take away gambling revenue, they'll say:

Advertisement

A gambling revolution

In the early 2000s, the potential of online sports betting became apparent. The Howard government introduced legislation to try to regulate it. But after a few years, the market was expanding and so was the money flowing into it.

The AFL, then led by Andrew Demetriou, had had enough. He called the bookmakers together and asked for a cut. Officially called the Integrity Agreement, it meant that for every dollar made by corporate bookmakers (Sportsbet, Ladbrokes, Neds, etc.), the AFL would receive 10 cents.

The money is known as a "product fee" - essentially a tax. The deal is similar to a similar deal that had been struck between horse racing and the TAB before.

Trip made his fortune from Australian sports gambling, and Sportsbet's Australian operations are the jewel in the crown of its Ireland-based parent company, Flutter. He said the deal was good for the AFL.

"Imagine having a party and it's costing you a lot of money. All of a sudden, other people want to jump in late and enjoy the festivities. If you want to come, you have to pay," he said.

Advertisement

In the initial stages of the agreement, the AFL was set to make about $15 million to $20 million a year from a 10% cut of gambling. Two betting sources told The Age that figure could rise to more than $30 million in 2022 and reach $40 million.

The government also gets its share. Since 2019, most states and territories have introduced a "sales tax" on sports betting. In Victoria, it's 10% of net wagering revenue.

In survey after survey, futsal fans say the impact of sports betting on the game is their least favorite thing about the AFL, along with rule changes.

But Tripp, the gambling mogul who built Sportsbet's relationship with the AFL, says there's only one way for gambling revenue to flow into footy: up.

Integrity and ‘optics’

Advertisement

There was a legal integrity element to Demetriou's contracts with bookmakers, meaning the AFL guaranteed full oversight of all bets placed on football, and that bookmakers would analyze and flag suspicious bets. For example, if a relative of a player placed a bet on a match that the player had influence over, the AFL would be notified.

Before the AFL had what it called an integrity agreement, it was done blindly.

"If you take this tool from AFL, you will be back in the inhuman era of illegal offshore gambling. It will hurt.

Guillon Macrakran (left) and Andrew Dematorio. Credit: Fairfax Media

The flow of funds from the agreement of the product feed is to make AFL directly profitable from gambling profits. One of Giron Macrakran's favorite words is "Optics", and the optics related to sports betting may be considered harmful.

This year, AFL has changed the opening date of the opening round. Rather than a traditional Richmond vs. Carlton game, he chose the rematch of the Melbourne vs. Western Bull Dogs Grand Finals next Wednesday night.

The match should have been held on Saturday or Sunday. By moving on Wednesday, the league decided to make an independent match. Sportsbet executives are separated from other AFL games, rival sports, horse racing, etc., so that the company alone can make a profit of $ 1 million or more in the first round. I told the paper.

Advertisement

It has not been pointed out that this is the reason that AFL will hold a game on Wednesday. However, it is not possible to overlook the fact that moving one game to an independent time zone can get a considerable fee for gambling jackpots.

Time to crack down?

It doesn't take much time to talk about Western Bull Dogs premiere captains, the gambling on football. Easton, who has recently retired, says that if a gambling company bans advertising on football, he will be happy to choose a salary reduction.

He is worried about the impact on their two children.

Easton Wood, a Bourdogs captain celebrating the 2016 premiereship. Credit: Scott Baber

When I go to watch the game or watch a broadcast, I want to keep my advertisement trouble, "Wood told Wood. "I'm worried ....... The children grew up watching soccer, gambling became synonymous with sports, which became the entrance to start gambling at the age of 18, which is normal. It will be. "

Since the trip and Makurakran together in 2014, futsal gambling has become overwhelming. Under the TAB, the head to head market, premiere hopes, and Brown Low Medal winners were focused.

Loading

Sportsbet exploded this plain service every week. Introducing exotic betting during the match, the pantian can bet almost anything. And the match multi that allows you to do multiple bets for play during the game. A big victory can be expected with a $ 5 or $ 10 bet. The young men, mainly, are targeting a clever and humorous ad, appealing to Larikin Spirit.

AFL underestimates the value of this partnership, and sponsorship of $ 10 million accounts for a small percentage of $ 100 million from the sponsorship, but the trips have a wide range of betting products that can be provided by the ink of AFL. He says it has changed. This is one of the current transactions, which was currently $ 250, 000 in 2005, from the current $ 12 billion to $ 14 billion.

The bookmaker has also paid $ 1 million to $ 3 million to the ground gambling.

And it is television broadcasting right. According to data from the media industry, gambling and the game industry spent $ 287 million in 2021. Of these, $ 128 million was paid to television stations in metropolitan areas. No solid numbers have been reported, but from the percentage of advertising revenue, AFL's free broadcast partner, Seven, has earned about $ 47 million advertising revenues from gambling companies.

If you do not have a $ 47 million gambling advertisement, it is doubtful that Seven can afford to pay about $ 150 million in AFL every year (overwhelmingly large in AFL financial resources). Industry officials say. This figure is not estimated, although more paid by gambling companies via FOX.

Tim Costello, a lon g-standing ant i-gambling advocate, says the time has come.

"Everyone said that AFL could not survive when alcohol advertisements were taken up. The horse appears to have fled, but I think it will actually change someday."

Establishing limits

Recognizing the dangers, the industry has recently shown a movement to restrict gambling ads. Trip has established a responsible betting association (Responsible Wagering Association), banning TV gambling from sirens to sirens.

Those who have deleted a sports bed account will not be able to bet on Radubroks or Neds.

Already, on TV programs below G-class from 6:00 am to 8:30 am to 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, and children's programs from 5:00 am to 8:30 pm, sports broadcasts. , Betting products are prohibited.

The responsible gambling association (Responsible Wagering Association) is nearby and will introduce the National Sel f-exclusion registration. Credit: ISTOCK

Gambling advertising and odds are prohibited from 5 minutes before the scheduled time to play to 5 minutes after play. Gambling advertisements are also prohibited for quarter time and hal f-time.

In response to the question that the large number of gambling ads in Australia has reached a level of problem, Tabcope said, "I have always claimed that there are too many gambling advertisements."

"We have supported the movement to prohibit gambling ads in live sports (excluding races) broadcast during the most likely time for children. Recently ... I have ... They expressed their position again and suggested that they could expand to no n-sports programs. "

However, a huge audience, a established revenue source, and a sports betting, which has a coexistence between games and gambling, will not go anywhere right away, according to those who know it best.

Loading

"It's good and bad, and in Australia, we can only go in one direction," Trip said.

In the statement, in the statement, in the statement, "we can invest in strong integrity measures to monitor gaming on our games and invest in our games at all levels." Was stated.

AFL also pointed out many restrictions on gambling companies, such as the time when gambling advertisements were allowed, and said it has reduced signboards on gambling brands and grounds.

All players, coaches, and stakeholders have stated that they are not allowed to encourage, guide, advertise, and advertise in AFL.

The sports bed refrained from commenting.

Gambling problems can be supported by the lifeline (13 11 14).

We will deliver the latest information on AFL. Register with Real Futi Newsletter.

Children Grow Up Thinking Gambling Is Part of the AFL

The Australian rules argued that sponsorship from sports betting companies is essential for surviving premier sports in Japan. At the same time, such a larg e-scale advertisement is inevitably connected gambling and sports, especially in the Australian Football League (AFL). As a result, children think that gambling is closely linked to their favorite sports, and grows up gambling. At the same time, 37 % of fans are concerned about the spread of sports betting ads in AFL.

Concerned Sports Clubs Are Taking Action

Until a few years ago, a tobacco company was a sports main sponsor. The sponsorship disappeared when the harm of cigarettes was completely recognized and measures against tobacco ads were taken. Thirty years later, the gambling industry began to sponsor a sponsor campaign on behalf of a tobacco company.

As expected, this controversy has launched a campaign to increase the risk of betting in the special ant i-sports betting sponsorship program and the burden of betting in the vulnerable category, involving related sports clubs and associations. One of them is the "Love the Game" program, where the AFL 10 teams in Victoria and more than 650 professional clubs and community clubs cover all code. All clubs participating in the program have stopped accepting sports betting sponsorship and sending powerful messages. The program also aims to educate young people on how to use critical thinking about sports betting and deepen their understanding of the phenomena and risk.

Why Is This a Hot Topic?

Young people who spent their childhood while looking for their current sports betting ads while supporting their favorite AFL teams may be on a gambling journey as soon as the statutory age required to gamble. It gets expensive. The latest odds are first displayed in the AFL club apps that many children are in smartphones, when examining simple information such as the start time of the match and the competition team. As a result, children can get to know the language of betting odds from an early age. < SPAN> Australian rules argued that sponsorship from sports betting companies is essential for surviving premium sports in Japan. At the same time, such a larg e-scale advertisement is inevitably connected gambling and sports, especially in the Australian Football League (AFL). As a result, children think that gambling is closely linked to their favorite sports, and grows up gambling. At the same time, 37 % of fans are concerned about the spread of sports betting ads in AFL.

Until a few years ago, a tobacco company was a sports main sponsor. The sponsorship disappeared when the harm of cigarettes was completely recognized and measures against tobacco ads were taken. Thirty years later, the gambling industry began to sponsor a sponsor campaign on behalf of a tobacco company.

Who Protects Gambling Intertwined With Sports

As expected, this controversy has launched a campaign to increase the risk of betting in the special ant i-sports betting sponsorship program and the burden of betting in the vulnerable category, involving related sports clubs and associations. One of them is the "Love the Game" program, where the AFL 10 teams in Victoria and more than 650 professional clubs and community clubs cover all code. All clubs participating in the program have stopped accepting sports betting sponsorship and sending powerful messages. The program also aims to educate young people on how to use critical thinking about sports betting and deepen their understanding of the phenomena and risk.

Young people who spent their childhood while looking for their current sports betting ads while supporting their favorite AFL teams may be on a gambling journey as soon as the statutory age required to gamble. It gets expensive. The latest odds are first displayed in the AFL club apps that many children are in smartphones, when examining simple information such as the start time of the match and the competition team. As a result, children can get to know the language of betting odds from an early age. The Australian rules argued that sponsorship from sports betting companies is essential for surviving premier sports in Japan. At the same time, such a larg e-scale advertisement is inevitably connected gambling and sports, especially in the Australian Football League (AFL). As a result, children think that gambling is closely linked to their favorite sports, and grows up gambling. At the same time, 37 % of fans are concerned about the spread of sports betting ads in AFL.

Until a few years ago, a tobacco company was a sports main sponsor. The sponsorship disappeared when the harm of cigarettes was completely recognized and measures against tobacco ads were taken. Thirty years later, the gambling industry began to sponsor a sponsor campaign on behalf of a tobacco company.

As expected, this controversy has launched a campaign to increase the risk of betting in the special ant i-sports betting sponsorship program and the burden of betting in the vulnerable category, involving related sports clubs and associations. One of them is the "Love the Game" program, where the AFL 10 teams in Victoria and more than 650 professional clubs and community clubs cover all code. All clubs participating in the program have stopped accepting sports betting sponsorship and sending powerful messages. The program also aims to educate young people on how to use critical thinking about sports betting and deepen their understanding of the phenomena and risk.