Overdue - time for federal government to ban sports betting ads

May 8, 2021
1,044
1,765
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
It is more and more noticeable. Talking to mates from the UK they think it’s abhorrent how our national sport and its media has sold its soul to the gambling industry.

Someone (else) should start a petition

Gambling company logo's are advertised and clearly displayed on team kits for multiple EPL teams and also on advertising signage around the game.
Problem Gambling will hit epidemic proportions for generations to come given the ability for Gambling Companies to invest in media saturation to target and normalise this activity most notably to children who are impressionable by nature.
I have a young child that spends time on a tablet playing games that appear innocent by nature but actually have 'Gambling Undertones' for which she boasts and celebrates about virtual tokens and money that she has won linked to games that she likes.
I have no evidence but it wouldn't surprise me if Gambling Companies and easy accessible (Free Online Children Games) work in unison with one another.
 
May 27, 2017
6,351
9,773
AFL Club
St Kilda
I have a young child that spends time on a tablet playing games that appear innocent by nature but actually have 'Gambling Undertones' for which she boasts and celebrates about virtual tokens and money that she has won linked to games that she likes.
I have no evidence but it wouldn't surprise me if Gambling Companies and easy accessible (Free Online Children Games) work in unison with one another.

Loot boxes are a great example at this. Literally gambling disguised as game content.
 

Flog_Toolist

Hammer time!
Mar 20, 2021
963
1,560
AFL Club
St Kilda
We're not saying we want betting banned.

We're saying we want the advertising -- especially during games -- banned.

It won't happen, too many snouts at the trough.

Good point. Not like the Junior Burger Happy Meal Coupon prize a kid got at the end of the match for participation (going to training regularly after school) and the effort displayed on Sat/Sun like almost half a century ago.

This BS marketing and rubbish if left unchecked, will lead to more obese kids sitting on a sporting field checking their phones during gameplay. While their school mates sit at home ordering Uber Eats/MenuFlog without signing up to the local footy club and end up playing Xbox/Playstation without any connection to the local community/sporting involvement whatsoever.

It's sad.
 

Molian

All Australian
Jul 6, 2011
797
568
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
I was under the impression that if i selected the under 18 option on the AFL app I wouldn't have to see any gambling ads.
I went to watch a video and a sportsbet ad loaded up before it. So I deleted the AFL app.
Not just because of that it is also a pretty average app.

I won't pretend there's some moral reason i want betting ads banned. They're just particularly annoying ads and I would love to not have to hear that sportsbet bloke yell at me ever again. He's up there with Frank Walker. Their voice has an infuriating, put on tone that flicks something in my brain and makes me see red.
I can't understand why anyone would buy tiles off that annoying campaigner.
 
May 8, 2021
1,044
1,765
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Loot boxes are a great example at this. Literally gambling disguised as game content.

Thanks, I didn't even know of the term 'Loot Boxes' and have just googled and read a few articles. One article estimated Loot Box revenue generated $15 Billion in 2020 with that number expected to increase by a third to $20 Billion by 2025, extraordinary numbers.
 
Apr 11, 2002
33,567
34,643
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Iggles, Georgia.
Thanks, I didn't even know of the term 'Loot Boxes' and have just googled and read a few articles. One article estimated Loot Box revenue generated $15 Billion in 2020 with that number expected to increase by a third to $20 Billion by 2025, extraordinary numbers.

Unbelievable isn't it. Iirc there was a push in Europe to get loot boxes banned, not sure they had a lot of luck.

I have a bet on the footy now & then but like most it seems, have had a gutfull of this re-explosion of
Sports betting advertising. It seems to have been driven by the opening up in the US of legalised betting in many states & these celebs like Shaak/Whalberg jumping on the gravey train, what either of them need extra cash for, who knows, plain greed I guess.
 

djrasta213

Debutant
May 13, 2018
67
133
AFL Club
West Coast
I was at the dreamtime game & there was a father & son sitting behind me. It was the young fellas first game & both supported Richmond. it was heartbreaking with 2 minutes to go the father started going for Essendon because he had Richmond 1-39 & it would cost his money. His son also started barracking for Essendon & screaming my dad will win money. But turned around to his dad and was saying why are we doing this etc. I felt really bad for the kid.
 
May 8, 2021
1,044
1,765
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Unbelievable isn't it. Iirc there was a push in Europe to get loot boxes banned, not sure they had a lot of luck.

I have a bet on the footy now & then but like most it seems, have had a gutfull of this re-explosion of
Sports betting advertising. It seems to have been driven by the opening up in the US of legalised betting in many states & these celebs like Shaak/Whalberg jumping on the gravey train, what either of them need extra cash for, who knows, plain greed I guess.

There's definitely a push to get 'Loot Boxes' banned and from my limited research it appears that Belgium have done so. Like many things in life the efforts are reactive for which regulators are playing catch up to find a much needed balance.
I work in a children's services field and the developing brain by nature lacks impulse control. Adults have free will to make informed decisions and behave responsibly, its the children who are being targeted both by the unbalanced marketing campaigns of the increasing wealthy Betting Companies and Online Gaming.
Sport and betting are now that intertwined that in time they maybe viewed as one in the same by generations to follow.
 
Jun 30, 2009
30,328
41,692
Deroesfromgero
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
east perth
I definitely find them excessive especially on KAYO in terms of frequency shown but I don't see the need for them to be banned altogether.

Why do we need to go nanny state in order for people to be responsible for their own decisions.
Kids being propagandised since birth.
 
Betting can be made to look glamorous these days and just a normal part of life. There's was no way you could spin the old TAB like that, a smokey room full of old boys coughing their lungs up ia about as far from glamorous as you can get.
I think one of the apps had an ad that tried to educate people away from the stained-carpet TAB gambling into cool ways of gambling your wages at lunch time on your phone.
 
I think one of the apps had an ad that tried to educate people away from the stained-carpet TAB gambling into cool ways of gambling your wages at lunch time on your phone.
As an aficionado of dives I always quite liked those places, it was the betting that I saw as a bit silly.
 
May 8, 2021
1,044
1,765
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Betting can be made to look glamorous these days and just a normal part of life. There's was no way you could spin the old TAB like that, a smokey room full of old boys coughing their lungs up ia about as far from glamorous as you can get.

Not to mention the questionable body odour of its clientelle as well as avoiding the betters that sprint and near knock you over to get a last second bet on only to not get on and miss their only winner for the day!
It certainly isn't accurately portrayed like the ads with the handsome chap with a glamour on his arm....the big carnivals can be a different story, glamorous women everywhere at least at the start of the day, towards the end it can get a bit messy for all and sundry.
 
Aug 29, 2008
2,410
2,778
Melbourne
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
As someone who creates gambling ads, I am torn. I would love them to be banned and I hate them so much however they earn me so much money....

My thoughts are if they are going to exist I might as well try and make as much money off creating them as possible.

I also don't necessarily agree with banning them completely but there does need to be far more regulation on where and when they can be shown. Also, we need far more education at a younger age on gambling rather than hiding it from our kids so I think there should be some sort of trade-off where if betting agencies want to advertise they also need to educate more beyond a pathetic disclaimer at the end of an ad.
 

Punt Road Feral

Premiership Player
Aug 23, 2007
3,603
4,016
Punt Road's Manure Pit
AFL Club
Richmond
It's extremely unlikely it would be flat out banned as there's too much $$$ at stake but i'd really like the ads to be toned down with it's regularity.
It doesn't sit well with me watching a game and constantly having the ads shoved in my face and even pre game it puts the conversation on the betting odds and multi prospects rather than the game itself.

I've known a few people within my extended network that are good people from solid families that have been heavily impacted from gambling addition and it doesn't seem right that these kids can't watch a game without being bombarded with gambling ads, it's actually incredibly sad.

For the record i didn't mind the odd flutter but basically after hearing of the above stories i've cut it out completely.
 
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