In Australia, local politicians have taken up arms against betting firms that advertise during sports matches. Now, Kiwis are expressing the same concerns. This week, responsible gambling advocates have spoken out against live odds and other forms of sports betting advertising, comparing them to poker machines.
The Australian fight against betting advertising was sparked when bookmaker Tom Waterhouse started appearing during National Rugby League matches on Channel 9 to provide live odds. In New Zealand, a TAB spokesperson named Mark Stafford appears before matches to provide the same information. Recently, he has been met with the same response.
"It's not about who's going to win, it's about will this kick go over, will he drop the ball the next time he touches it. The more instant the response to a bet, the more problematic it can become,” says Graeme Ramsey of the Problem Gambling Foundation in New Zealand. Over the years, he has found that there has been increase in the number of young men who have sought help for sports-related addiction problems.
He believes that this is likely due to the fact that they are increasingly being exposed to a barrage of gambling advertising, which normalizing sportsbetting and can get young people hooked. This year, TAB has seen huge growth in its sportsbetting sector, jumping from $100 million to $250 million in profits. This is undoubtedly linked to the increase in gambling advertising, such as live odds.
This type of advertising is considered to be harmful because of the urgency it communicates and its call-to-action. Responsible gambling advocate liken it to poker machines because it seems to be ubiquitous, and even young people cannot escape being exposed to betting advertising. On the other hand, like playing pokies, the activity itself is not inherently addictive, but exposure to it from a young age can be harmful for young people.
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