South Australia to ban in-play advertising
Difficulties of organising interstate live odds promotion may force a nationwide ban
The South Australian government will ban the advertising of live odds during sporting broadcasts, becoming the first state in the country to do so and potentially initiating a country-wide ban.
Speaking to ABC News, the state’s premier Jay Weatherill said the idea the country could “end up with a generation of children who believe gambling is a normal part of watching or playing sport” was “of great concern”.
“We don’t allow children into pokies venues or into the casino, but we haven’t regulated the way the advertising of sports betting has infiltrated our living rooms,” he said.
Weatherill added sportsbook operators and broadcasters would be given responsibility for working out how best to adhere to the ban, with heavy fines threatened for those ruled to be flouting the new regulations.
Robert Chappell of the South Australian Independent Gambling Authority said pushing through the ban would make it more difficult for operators to organise interstate promotion of live odds, effectively acting as a national ban.
A number of political and industry organisations have condemned the advertising of in-play odds in Australia, with prime ministerial candidate Tony Abbott pledging his Liberal and National coalition would ban what he described as a “a significant social nuisance”.
This followed industry television body Free TV Australia (FTA) proposing changes to the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice which would block commentators and guests from promoting live odds during a game and for 30 minutes before and after.
Australia’s Green Party has also drafted legislation for a country-wide ban, seen as a measure to protect children, with Senator Richard Di Natale explaining that gambling and sports had “become entangled”.
The news comes as Southern Cross University of New South Wales has published the findings of a survey looking at the prevalence of gambling in the country. A total of 15,000 people were polled, and problem gambling expert Dr Sally Gainsbury revealed that around 64% of the country’s population admitted to having gambled in the past year “ down from 82% in 1999.
Dr Gainsbury went on to tell ABC News that sports betting has doubled in popularity, with revenues from the vertical growing 15% over the past five years.