eSports betting continues to be a controversial online gaming activity. Responsible gambling advocates are concerned that it may be attractive to underage individuals, and the South Australian government has taken action to help protect young people across the state. If you’re not familiar with eSports, it is a newly emerging industry in which players compete against one another in computer games.
Huge tournaments are held, as players from around the world duke it out in games like Starcraft and League of Legends. These players become incredibly famous, and some have obtained the same status as celebrity athletes. eSports attract a varied audience, consisting of children and young adults. Among the older generation, spectators wager on eSports events.
It is becoming a hugely popular sportsbetting market, raking in millions of dollar in wagers every year. Since a large portion of eSports spectators are young people, the South Australian government is concerned that they will feel compelled to bet on tournaments and other events. As such, lawmakers have banned eSports betting altogether in an attempt to stop young people from the possibility of underage gambling.
"Children are particularly vulnerable to the attraction of gambling on sporting contests conducted on the platform of video games," says John Rau, Consumer and Business Affairs Minister. "The Government is determined to keep our children cyber-safe. We do not want them to be introduced to gambling under the guise of a game." The government states that there is little research on the topic of eSports betting and its dangers.
It is certainly worth finding out more about this activity before placing any specific ban. We hope that this leads to more studies about the implications of eSports betting. This move comes after the crackdown on skins betting among Counter Strike: Global Offensive players. Many young people were wager in-game items, leading to concerns about illegal betting in the online gaming world and underage gambling.
So, it certainly makes sense that South Australian officials would want to take action in order to prevent young people from betting on computer games. Still, it seems that ban may not be the best solution. After all, football and rugby fans are comprised of many young people. As such, the key to preventing underage gambling should lie in education, ensuring that young people are aware of the dangers of gambling on any type of sports.
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