Aussie Children Associate Watching Sports with Gambling

A recent study published by Deakin University in Melbourne has suggested that more than 75% of Australian children associate watching sports with some form of gambling. Researchers went on further to suggest that the average age of gamblers has continued to drop in over the last few years. It is suggested that this has been partly caused by young children now having quick access to mobile gambling applications.

These claims were further corroborated by recent statistics released by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation (VRGF) which revealed that around 80% of children between the ages of 13-17 have gambled in some way or another. It should be stated that this includes activities such as taking part in raffles as well as buying lottery tickets.

It was also stated that some children as young as 12 were able to place wagers on age-restricted games and outlets, including pokies as well as actual sports games and races.

New Anti-Gambling Campaign to Target Aussie Children

In response to these statistics, the VRGF has created the “Love the game – not the odds” which specifically aims to target schools, parents and even sports clubs. The ultimate goal of the campaign is to teach communities and initiations directly involved with child rearing of the potential detrimental impacts gambling-related sports advertisements could have on the Australian youth.

Along with this campaign, Louise Glanville, the CEO of the VRGF also stated that it may be imperative that some parents address their child’s gambling activities and warn them of the potential harm they face with excessive gambling.

We here at casinostown.com support responsible gambling. Thus, if you think that your hobby may be turning into more of an addiction, be sure to head over to our problem gambling page, where you’ll find links to organisations that may be able to help with this issue.