Gambling advertisements have been an integral part of how companies communicate new offerings and promotions to fans. However, ads are also a major topic of the safer gambling discussion as more and more people realize the harm they can do to the new generation.
In the Australian state of Victoria, for example, kids are bombarded with ads to the point of associating betting as an integral part of sports. According to the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, free-to-air TV channels broadcast as many as 948 gambling ads a day.
While Victoria introduced some restrictions three years ago, this didn’t do much to stop ads as companies simply adapted. When the state restricted sports betting ads during live events, ads simply dispersed into general programming. As a result, many children are now exposed to gambling content on a daily basis.
Ads Are Normalizing Betting to Minors
The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation said that recent studies show that children are especially vulnerable to gambling ads featuring celebrities.
Even worse, it is estimated that around 75% of 8-to-16-year-olds believe that sports betting is something that is a common part of sports. The same number of children were able to name at least one gambling brand, while 25% could name four or more.
To top it off, the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation said that around 31% of Victorian secondary school students have gambled at least once.
Many gambling opponents are now looking to pressure the government into introducing harsher restrictions on gambling ads. Premier Daniel Andrews promised that he would not oppose such efforts.
Banning Ads May Hurt Free TV Channels
Bridget Fair, the chief executive of Free TV Australia, believes that the figures presented by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation are untruthful. According to her, a person can only see 948 gambling ads a day if they watch the six simultaneous broadcasts in six different Victorian advertising submarkets. She added that “no single person could be watching television in six separate locations.”
Fair also noted that advertising revenue, including revenue from wagering companies, is an important source of income for free TV channels. Further restricting gambling ads might hurt broadcasters’ ability to offer free-to-air content.
Despite the dangers to the TV industry, many still believe that blanket measures may be preferable. Samantha Thomas, a public health professor at Deakin University, believes that the federal government should impose a similar ban to the one introduced for tobacco years ago. According to her, social media advertisements should also be taken into mind when introducing such a ban.
Thomas said that there is no room for compromise when children’s health is at stake.
Rebecca Jenkinson from the Australian Institute of Family Studies added that gambling has the potential to ruin families, which is why parents should talk to their children about the dangers.