A major concern for Australian politicians is the growing popularity of mobile games. Although real-money mobile gambling is not yet legalized across the country, some apps closely resemble casino games. These apps are available to players of all ages, and the South Australian government aims to publish a list of games that are not suitable for young people.
This week, SA Premier Jay Weatherill has announced that the state government will be taking action in order to prevent underage internet users from being tempted to play casino games. As part of this initiative, government officials will classify mobile game apps for different age groups. At the moment, apps are only rated based on violent and sexual content; the SA government will create an additional rating for gambling content.
Although Apple does not offer real-money games for mobile devices in Australia, there are many play-money apps that simulate gambling. Any young person can download these apps and play blackjack, online pokies and roulette. They are not required to wager cash but the simulation of casino games conditions young people to gamble.
"Research has shown that early exposure to gambling-like games may lead to some children developing problem gambling habits later in life," says Mr Weatherill. "I won't stand back and watch a new generation of gambling addicts emerge – so we are going to lead the nation again by taking these steps”. Mr Weatherill has confirmed that the SA government has contacted Apple about the new classifications.
Should Apple cooperate, it will become an offense for mobile operators to supply gambling-based applications to underage players. If the law is passed, South Australia will be the first state to enact this type of legislation. Underage gambling is becoming a major concern across Australia, and other states may be inspired by SA’s measures.
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