Recently, a parliamentary committee concluded that, like South Australia, the state of Victoria should ban online gaming advertisements during peak times.
Reports indicate a significant increase in these online advertisements.
The Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) emphasized the need for adequate laws and measures to protect the citizens of the state.
And the focus is especially on children and young people, from exposure to these advertisements, mainly in prime times and public places.
Statement from the President of the committee on online games
Sarah Connolly, chair of the committee, highlighted in a parliamentary statement:
Our culture often normalizes drinking alcohol and casino gambling. The committee noted that, with the advancement of social networks and digital technology, this trend has deepened.
For eight months, the Committee analyzed reports from three Auditors-General on the regulation of online gaming and alcoholic beverages, as well as strategies to reduce the harm caused by gambling.
Our 96 findings and 61 recommendations were based on 54 public submissions, three days of public hearings, a site visit in Geelong and a youth roundtable.”
Young people reported the frequency of online games and related advertisements
Connolly praised these young people for sharing their “lived experiences,” thus contributing to the committee process.
This recommendation is not surprising, as the Australian population has been asking governments to restrict these advertisements.
In July this year, a federal parliamentary committee also suggested phasing out all types of gaming and casino advertisements over the next three years.
Since then, state governments have implemented several reform measures to reduce the harm caused by gambling.
These include banning the use of credit cards for gaming and casinos, limiting the number and opening hours of poker machines, and additional restrictions on game advertising times.
BetStop: a prevention tool
To assist in the voluntary prevention of gambling and casinos, the federal government launched BetStop, a self-exclusion registry.
Through it, people can voluntarily exclude themselves from online gaming platforms.
