Over the course of the past few years, responsible gambling advocates have been working hard to limit the exposure of children to casino gaming and betting. They argue that gambling advertisements influence young people to gamble, but gambling companies refute this claim.
According to TVNZ, Associate Professor Samantha Thomas states that young people are developing a distorted view of sports, as they are taught that they can’t be a true rugby or football fan unless they are punting on their favourite teams. She argues that there is a growing connection between sports teams and bookmakers, and compares the relationship to tobacco advertising in the 70s and 80s.
“We always refer back to that historical example of tobacco. So, we know that when tobacco companies align themselves with sports, that kids had much more awareness and more positive attitudes towards smoking,” she says. “We’re certainly starting to see that at the moment with kids and gambling companies”. Professor Thomas also points out that the shift is becoming obvious in the way that children speak about gambling.
They no longer speak about sports in terms of statistics but rather use gambling terms, such as referring to the odds of their favourite team winnings. Still, gambling operators deny that they target young people.
She continues: "Gambling companies say they don't deliberately target kids but when we look at social media marketing for gambling we see a huge amount of tactics that we know massively appeal to kids, companies promoting their goods on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube where they use cartoon characters."
This continues to be a major issue in the Australian media. Responsible gambling advocates and researchers are still working hard to reduce the amount of gambling advertising that is broadcasted during sports matches. While plenty of progress has been made, there is still a long way to go.
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