Dr. Hannah Pitt, Research Fellow at Deakin University: With gambling becoming more accessible than ever before, young people today are really one of the first generations to be bombarded with this gambling messaging and the potentially positive messaging about gambling, which is what public health professionals and we’re really concerned about.

Joseph Baronio, BTN Reporter: From the dogs to the doggies, these days you can bet money on pretty much everything and, we do. A lot of it too. Leading up to 2019 Aussies spent roughly a billion dollars per year on sports betting and experts reckon that figure, along with the number of people gambling, has grown since then. And there’s a reason for that. Advertising.

Dr. Hannah Pitt: Young people report in our research that they see gambling ads everywhere. Gambling companies have been reported to spend almost $300 million on advertising, but that doesn’t even include sponsorship deals and relationships.

In-fact, research from the Victorian responsible gambling foundation found that in 2021 young people were exposed to more than 148 gambling ads during the evening family viewing slot from 6 to 8:30pm and a total of more than 900 per day! And that’s just on free-to-air TV in Victoria. There’s also everything from filters on Snapchat, and sponsored videos on TikTok, to fun, upbeat skits appearing across YouTube and social media featuring popular celebrities. With all that in mind, I’ve decided to do some research of my own. I’ve come down to the University of Adelaide to ask some young people what they know about it.

The trick is to now find some people. We haven’t come on a particularly busy day.

Hey guys excuse me, could I ask you guys some questions about…

Students: We’ve got to go to class.

You’ve got to go to class? It’s a university, what am I expecting.

With sports betting ads and gambling ads, how often do you guys see them?

Student: Honestly like quite a bit, I see them a lot like on social media…

Student: Yeah, they pop up every now and then especially on YouTube.

Student: Semi regularly I personally.

Student: Not a lot really.

Student: I do.

Student: It’s every second ad.

Where do you see these ads most?

Student: Usually on TV or like on ads like YouTube and such.

Student: Watching sporting things like you see you know, when the footy’s on or something like that.

Student: TV or just on websites as well.

Student: I recently went to like, Sydney, Sydney and Melbourne and stuff and they have them on like the billboards and stuff.

What sort of things do you think make them memorable with like the celebrities or the way they’re made?

Student: Just the general vibe of the ad, it’s all pretty upbeat, it’s all pretty up in your face and they all seem to portray like..

Always portraying a good time?

Student: Yeah, yeah that’s what I’m trying to get at.

Yep, Yep.

Dr. Hannah Pitt: We know that young people now have fairly positive attitudes about gambling. And they now think that gambling is a normal or common part of sport. And this has predominantly been due to the advertising that they see.

Do you think that you’re seeing more of them?

Student: A hundred percent.

Student: Yeah I would say so.

Student: I think so, yeah.

Student: Especially for like the apps and stuff.

Student: Oh yeah definitely those apps like the little game apps.

The legal gambling age is 18, but in 2022 researchers found that up to 20% of Aussies aged 15 to 17 had bet on sports and 1 in 5 adults with gambling problems started before they were 18.

Student: I’ve got two younger brothers and they were trying to get my to gamble on the races because they’re not 18 so they can’t but..

So, they want you to do it on their behalf?

Student: Yeah, they were very insistent on that, I was like ‘no you’re not gambling on the horses!’.

Have either of you ever used one of these gambling tools?

Student: Never, never.

Student: Nah never. Not once.

Student: I’ve only used Sportsbet.

And what did you bet on?

Student: I’ve done novelty stuff like the Hottest 100 like Grammys. I like the novelty stuff more as opposed to genuine sports

Dr. Hannah Pitt: Australians lose more money on average than anywhere in the world per person losing over 20 billion dollars per year. It causes significant health and social harms, and those impacts are not only on the individual, but also their family, friends, and the broader community.

Do you know anyone who’s had a bad experience, lost a bit too much money? Anything like that?

Student: All of my mates. I don’t think I’ve ever had a good experience with them yeah.

And while there are some restrictions on gambling ads right now, like a ban on TV during live sport up to 8:30pm, many people reckon it’s not enough.

Do you think that the saturation of these ads, it could be a problem for young people?

Student: Probably yeah, by normalising it.

Student: I think so, yeah. But I think, I guess we’re only two examples. Fifty, fifty, yeah.

Student: Given like how young are exposed to social media, I think it could be like kind of harmful.

Student: I guess.

Student: Like you turn 13 and you’re on social media and then suddenly you know hit with all these gambling ads.

Student: It’s an enticing adult thing to do, you know, ’cause you can’t do it, it’s like drinking and smoking, you can’t do it until you’re 18.

Student: It takes up a large portion of the ads that are shown to pretty much everyone which I think is accessibly promoting it.

Student: It’s always in front of you so no matter what you’re going to see something about it and it’s hard to escape.

Some gambling companies say that they’re continuing to work on safer gambling measures. But many experts reckon the best thing would be to see gambling ads disappear completely.

Dr. Hannah Pitt: First and foremost, governments just need to ban the marketing associated with gambling. We need to continue to reinforce the message that gambling isn’t normal. We need young people to be critical, critically thinking about the messages that they see and these strategies would not only help to protect young people but would actually have a broader flow on effect to the whole community.

What do you think should be done to try and reduce the number of exposures that young people have to these ads?

Student: Probably putting some media laws around it and kind of limiting the actual exposure like you can give them.

Student: I was going to say, the limitations both in state and federal government.

Student: Some social media accounts, they do have like…

Student: Age limits…

Student: Yeah, like age limits and like family privacy like you don’t show certain ads depending on how old you are. So, I think if they enforce that more, probably be better.

Student: Maybe in schools and stuff, more education, I guess.

Student: I’d say regularly how these, how gambling is advertised such as what they do for tobacco and such.

Student: I think we need to change something in the legislation.

Student: I think it should be, it’s like how you know tobacco, you can’t advertise tobacco. Make it more like that.

Student: Pretty much, don’t chase your losses kids. Gamble responsibly.