A new survey indicates that a massive 70% of Australians desire to see gambling commercials removed from their televisions.
The Australia Institute, a research organization, surveyed over 1000 individuals nationwide regarding prohibiting specific advertisement categories, with a near-unanimous consensus favoring the removal of gambling promotions. A mere 11% were content to retain the betting barrage on their screens.
Notably, it wasn’t solely a case of older generations seeking tranquility – younger demographics were even more eager to banish gambling commercials. Almost 70% of respondents aged 18-29 wanted them gone, and the figures remained consistently high across all age brackets.
This development coincides with the imminent start of the Aussie rules football finals, a period typically inundated with betting advertisements. Existing regulations govern the timing and placement of these commercials, but with a surge in viewership anticipated for the crucial matches, certain lawmakers are advocating for stricter limitations.
Victorian Member of Parliament, Zoe Daniel, spearheads this movement, asserting that the current influx of gambling commercials normalizes wagering, particularly among youth, and is pushing for a comprehensive investigation into the advertising practices of sports betting.
A disturbing pattern is emerging in Australia: adolescents are discussing betting probabilities, attempting to acquire wagering applications on their mobile devices, and even placing wagers on events like political outcomes. This is particularly alarming considering that, based on Nielsen statistics, the gaming sector in Australia expended nearly 287.2 million Australian dollars on promotional activities in 2021 – representing a substantial sum directed towards influencing young demographics. This extends beyond gambling; the study also examined the promotion of other detrimental products such as unhealthy food, tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, and non-renewable energy sources.