Let’s
End gambling
advertising
Write to your MP
Our Federal Parliament is now considering a range of gambling reforms, including a total ban on gambling advertising. Gambling is causing devastating financial losses and social harms across the country.
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to prevent gambling harm and to protect our kids from being targeted by the gambling industry online and through advertising and sponsorship that is now embedded in our sports.
It’s time for the Government to act on their own report and protect
Australians from gambling harm
It has been more than a year since the Federal Government received the recommendations of their online gambling inquiry – now we need your help to turn these recommendations into real government action to reduce gambling harm.
The report on the Inquiry into online gambling and its impact on people experiencing gambling harm outlined 31 key recommendations including a phased in comprehensive ban of all gambling ads, a national regulator and strategy, a ban on gambling inducements and so much more. You can read our detailed response to each recommendation here.
It's really simple for you to support the campaign with an email template you can send to your Federal MPs. All you need to do is share your postcode and it will then be addressed to your local MP and copied to your state senators.
We strongly encourage you to personalise the email content to maximise impact. Anything you can add to describe how this is impacting you or people you know will improve the chances of it hitting home with politicians.
The Australian Government must act immediately, and it is critical that MPs offices around Australia are flooded with the same message - the report recommendations are game changers when it comes to preventing and reducing online gambling harm in Australia!
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WHY WE CARE
We asked why you care about gambling ads, here's just some of the reasons you shared:
"It's the fact that gambling has infiltrated all aspects of life including sport whether its online gambling or the odds being quoted, there's no escape. It's been normalised to the point that it's easy not to notice how insidious it is." - Denise
"I resent having to constantly reinforce to my young children why gambling is bad, as it is destroying the lives of many in the community. Sport is such an intrinsic way of life that to allow this destructive gambling industry any foothold is too much."
- Murray
"I am team manager of a state league one soccer club and I am appalled at hearing young people talking about betting and odds."- Derek
"I am now reluctant to allow my child to view the footy fixture online due to the 'Bet Easy' icon next to the game. I also feel annoyed and dismayed at the AFL that they have allowed a gambling company to infiltrate the game." - Anonymous
"I've seen sports gambling ads pop up on my 7 year old brother's tablet in the past and can only imagine the subconscious impact this will have on him as he gets older." - Anonymous
Those personally experiencing gambling harm are also deeply impacted by gambling ads.
OUR PLAN TO WIN
Sport binds communities together and underpins many of the values we share. It teaches kids how to work together, solve problems and be gracious in defeat.
But more and more sport is being used to advertise gambling. 3 in 4 kids now think gambling is a normal part of sport.
The gambling industry spends millions on advertising every year to be the backdrop of iconic sporting moments. Even if we don’t watch sport, gambling ads are played on repeat during our favourite family programs.
Gambling ads make gambling look exciting and risk-free, but gambling is addictive and harms millions of Australians.
Gambling ads are often placed when and where children and teenagers will see them the most.
Australians should be able to enjoy their favourite sports, gambling ad-free. Instead, sporting bosses exploit the trust of fans by selling sponsorship and advertising to the gambling industry, turning stadiums into gambling billboards and spruiking gambling odds to kids.
The facts are in: the more gambling ads kids see, the more likely they are to gamble. Yet a 13-year-old today has never even seen a game without gambling ads.
We stamped tobacco out of sport. Now let's tell our political leaders, sporting codes and broadcasters to #EndGamblingAds!
DRAFT THE DREAM TEAM
Parents, sport fans, players and communities are coming together to #EndGamblingAds. We want you on our team. Are you in?
KICK GAMBLING OUT OF SPORT
We booted smoking out of sport. Now let's kick gambling out by forcing Australia's biggest sporting codes to dump gambling sponsors.
CALL TIME ON GAMBLING ADS
MPs know it's dangerous to normalise gambling in sport. It's time they protect Aussies kids and call time on harmful gambling ads.
Facts on gambling ads
The research is clear — gambling ads are more than annoying they’re extremely harmful, particularly for kids.
Fast facts:
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Sports wagering is the fastest-growing form of gambling in Australia, doubling in the five years to 2017-2018, with losses now exceeding more than $1.2 billion annually (and turnover about 10 times that).
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Just over half of Australians who gamble online are at risk or already experiencing gambling-related harm.
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Gambling advertising and inducements are known to encourage riskier betting, increase the amount of money bet, and elicit excitement that encourages people to bet even when they don’t want to.
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3/4 of Australian children aged 8–16 years who watch sport think betting on sport is normal and can also name one or more sports betting companies (25% can name four or more).
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One in three high school students report they have already gambled, with students who reported a mental health condition also more likely to report they had gambled in the previous month.
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Despite tighter restrictions introduced during live sport in 2018, the total volume of gambling advertising has increased on television and radio by 50%, with $503.7 million collectively spent on marketing since the ban was introduced.
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Kids are considered high ‘consumers’ of the average 374 gambling ads on free-to-air TV a day, nearly half report noticing gambling advertising on television during sports and racing events at least weekly.
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The gambling industry spent $273.2 million on advertising in Australia in 2018, up from $89.7 million in 2011.
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Almost 3/4 of Australian parents reported being ‘bothered’ by their children being exposed to gambling ads.
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86% of Australians agree that gambling adverting should not be shown to children while online.
Just like tobacco advertising, gambling ads are harmful and should be eliminated from our airwaves.
Resource hub
The following resources are freely available for people and organisations to download and use. Help increase the impact of this community campaign by making use of any of these materials!
If you have any suggestions for resources you’d like to see developed, please let us know by emailing us at info@agr.org.au.
