Senator Nick Xenophon is well-known across Australia, as he continues to advocate for safe and responsible gambling in the country. He has been very active in the fight for pokie reform – and, now he has set his sights on a new mobile app that encourages gambling among young people. GiiUp is a new mobile game that simulates horserace betting. Players choose a horse to win races based on various stats.
Wizards and tutorials are available to teach players the basics of betting on races. Players initially use virtual coins to bet on the game, but are then prompted to spend actual cash on coins when they run out. The app also links players to real-money gambling sites where they can place real wagers on actual races.
"Whilst it talks about having credits that appear to be harmless initially, it induces people to spend real money and links them to real gambling sites where people can lose their shirts very quickly," Xenophon says. The game is not particularly targeted towards young people, but it does not feature any age restrictions. So, people under the legal gambling age can still access GiiUp – despite it featuring a heavy focus on gambling.
Another major concern about the app is that it has the potential to normalise gambling among young people. By allowing players to wager play money on horse races, the app distorts the reality of gambling. "They're all designed to play what appears to be innocent games, fun games but with them they've got a gambling facility and some of them have actually got poker machines in them,” says Professor Malcolm Battersby.
"Games with these sorts of characteristics where there's gambling within a game should be banned”.
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