Young Australians Targeted by Sports Betting Worries Experts

A recent polling research showed that Australians don’t want gambling ads on TV. Recent reports suggest that they might be right to want them banned as even 8-10-year-old children can now recognize sports gambling brands’ jingles.

Gambling Advertising Comes Up Again

An ABC report brought light into the issue of sport betting brands’ increased advertising and how their marketing is affecting younger people. Multiple studies have shown that Australians are among the world’s top punters, which can come with some drawbacks if there is no risk control. ABC’s report cited multiple academics outlining how even children can now recognize sports betting brands which has them worried over the marketing and advertising strategies these operators employ.

ABC’s report cited public health professor at Deakin University Samantha Thomas, who claimed that even children aged 8-10 can recognize brand colors, jingles and can even recall where they’ve seen the ads. Given that Australia is also known to already have high levels of people placing their bets before turning 18, this – to some experts – seems like is making matters worse by extending that trend.

Furthermore, bringing famous people into the sports gambling ads makes it seem like gambling poses no threats, Thomas was reported saying. This might lead to normalizing gambling from a young age, which can be a very dangerous path not only for players and their close ones, but also for the industry itself. Too much of a good thing can be bad, and undiscriminated exposure is not a sustainable growth strategy in the long run.

Industry is Growing, Changes Inevitable

Australia’s gambling scene is extremely vibrant, which does create a climate in which regulation just has to keep up with growth. Companies are growing, the market’s growing, player base is growing – all of this means that Australian regulators are constantly playing catch-up. This might be a good thing in certain situations, as regulation impacts not only operators but their employees and player base as well.

The Australian government has had a history of keeping an ear to the ground and listening to what its people need. A parliamentary inquiry was launched this fall, with MPs electing to conduct personal hearings with victims of gambling harm. The Australian Institute had conducted polling research on what ads Australians don’t want to see, and tobacco and gambling ads were taking the top spots at 74% and 71% respectively.

While limiting what gambling ads appear, and where, is not yet finalized, the government is going to implement a drastic change in taglines accompanying the gambling ads that do get served to people. It includes a much clearer language about the dangers of gambling by strictly focusing on warning messages.

However, it’s clear that regulation in the country isn’t coming at the expense of the industry, as Australia is also the first country in which TikTok has decided to run a gambling ads pilot, and sports betting regulators are already rearing their heads looking for information on implementing crypto. And that’s a good sign – the industry can and should grow, and the only way to do it sustainably is by also limiting the negative impact that comes with it.