Concerns raised over sports gambling in Australia

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has warned about fast-growing sports gambling addiction among young Australians.

Australia.- Every gambling activity raises concerns on possibly turning problematic among certain people with certain tendencies and sports betting is not an exception. According to Alliance for Gambling Reform spokesperson Tim Costello, the segment is “the fastest growing level of addiction” and warned about its impact among young Australians.

“Pokies target middle-aged women who are invited to go to a club, dress up and someone opens the door for you and you sit there and devastate your life,” he said, as quoted by radioaustralia.net.au, and explained: “Sports betting targets young men and that’s a rapidly growing area of addiction.”

As reported by an Australian Gambling Research Centre which echoed Mr Costello’s statements, sports betting is one of the dominant forms of interactive gambling, in which young people are more likely to participate.

According to Costello, the government is to blame: “The immoral failure of state governments to protect the vulnerable and instead allow more pokies is one of the big reasons [for problem gambling in Australia],” he said and added: “Incessant sports betting and the lax rules that allow kids to be targeted with what are gambling products when the footy and cricket are on — that’s another one of the reasons.”

Mr Costello said each problem gambler in Australia will lose about US$879, which is the highest in the world, followed by Singapore at US$639. “We’re going to get a ban on sports betting ads before 8:30 at night, and that’s pressure the Federal Government has been brought under, so that’s a win,” he commented.