One of the Responsible Gambling Foundation’s main missions is to prevent young people from being exposed to gambling and betting. To help with this cause, the foundation has requested assistance from the Australian Football League to help limit young people’s exposure to gambling activity in the mass media. Recently, we have seen more and more advertisements for gambling services on television and in print media.
The danger of this is that young people can be exposed to gambling, which is potentially harmful because it normalizes the activity. Sports broadcasts have some of the most blatant gambling ads, and the Responsible Gambling Foundation feels that it would be effective if the AFL got involved by helping to prevent youth from being exposed to gambling.
''We would love to work with the AFL in taking a leadership role in tackling gambling exposure, particularly for children,'' says Serge Sardo, CEO of the Responsible Gambling Foundation. ''The explosion of gambling advertisements in AFL games in particular is a real concern to us.'' The AFL has not yet responded to the Responsible Gambling Foundation’s plea, but it does not seem like the league is willing to help out.
According to The Age, the representatives from the AFL have expressed that the league already limited gambling exposure in 2012 and does not plan making any further changes in 2014. Currently, only one club has signed the Responsible Gambling Foundation’s ‘Responsible Gambling Charter’, which aims to disassociate the sports industry and the gambling industry and refocus fans on the game itself.
North Melbourne has shown support for the foundation’s efforts to reduce the integration of gambling and sports, but no other teams have come forward and neither has the league itself.
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