Gambling reforms being rammed through parliament - while kids are being groomed to gamble

Last Friday the school children in our nation watched SBS as the Socceroo’s took on Paraguay. The draw was great result and our national cohesion and confidence soared as we entered the next knock out round.

But ten minutes before the start I was horrified to see an extended segment by Bet365 on the odds of player shots including Nestory Ivankunda. Our nation’s kids watched that? Gambling is an adult product like cigarettes but since 2008 it has become so normalized in grooming our kids that we have become immune.

Last week the New York Times published a piece headed -We’re Getting America’s Children Hooked on Gambling. Paediatricians spoke with alarm about the number of teenagers presenting with gambling problems.

The article explained the increase in addictive gambling behaviour since sports gambling broadly became legal in the US in 2018 and estimated two thirds of 18-22 year old men were betting on sports.

It lamented that ‘we are currently thinking about gambling the way we thought about cigarettes and alcohol in the mid-20th century when these substances were treated as benign.”

Yet sports gambling ads began a decade earlier in Australia which is one of the reasons we lead the world in gambling losses and harm.

And the results from the experiment of linking sport and gambling in kids minds are in. Over 600,000 12-17 Australian teenager’s gambled last year losing almost $20 m - though it is illegal. More kids were gambling on sport than actually playing soccer and basketball combined.

And young men now 18-24 groomed on the ads of kids and the message ‘gamble with your mates’  have developed serious gambling difficulties. Its impossible for them to think of watching an AFL or NRL game without a multi.

This week the long overdue legislative response to the Murphy report will be introduced into Federal Parliament. The consultation with stakeholders produced no revisions and was essentially an information session as a prelude to the government’s intention to ram the package through.

Though we pointed out that this did not protect kids and did not delink gambling and support which were the PM’s stated aims in announcing the response. It appears a deal has been done with vested interests. They are the Free to Air networks, AFL and NRL and the Sports betting companies.

It will not protect kids nor delink gambling and sport because the legislation provides an opt out of gambling ads not an opt in if you want the ads.

SBS has had an opt out option for nearly two years and the proof it does not work is only  0.2% of viewers have opted out. And when it comes to the World cup it doesn’t seem to  work at all.

Secondly the legislation allows a free for all of gambling ads after 8.30 pm. Try putting your kids to bed when a night game starts at 8.00pm on free to air. And rather than the Murphy report’s recommended  total ban phased in over three years,  this legislation reduces gambling ad to three an hour as if we would protect our kids with just three cigarette ads as an hour.

Worse the legislation totally ignores another big three Murphy recommendations. The first was establish a National Regulator. Incredible in the nation with the highest losses that we do not have one. So this package leaves the NT racing and wagering Commission with its 6 part time Commissioners as the defacto National regulator because that is where the foreign multi billion sports betting companies are all registered.

The second key recommendation was to ban inducements. The Murphy report singled out the predatory “free money” inducements from betting companies straight into your account when they see you are losing to keep you betting. Gambling inducements are like free drugs from the pushers.

And the third recommendation was  to treat Gambling as health issue as no federal or State Departments take responsibility for gambling.

No doubt the Prime Minister will say again he has got the balance right between protecting children and preserving the right to a punt.

But Prime Minister there is no organization that I know of trying to ban gambling It’s just banning the ads as Peta Murphy and her multi partisan committee recommended. Just as no one is trying to ban smoking but just reduce its harm.

Why does the PM keeps repeating the gambling industry’s line that somehow the right to a punt is at stake. European nations that have banned the gambling ads  are totally free to gamble.

Kai Kantwell of Responsible Wagering that represents the Sports betting companies wrote a letter to the 15 Liberal MP’s, who signed a letter with John Howard, Jeff Kennett and Nick Greiner a month ago supporting the Murphy Report recommendations, saying that that Tim Costello and the alliance for Gambling reform wants to ban gambling. In over 30 years of advocating gambling reform I have never said I want to ban gambling. I expect it form them but not from you PM.

In the nation that has led the world with a social media ban for children (that I support) it trails the world in protecting our kids from gambling harms. Now is the time PM to listen to 77% of the public who want a total ban on gambling ads and ignore the vested interests.