A Guardian Australia investigation has revealed a troubling increase in the number of young people seeking help for problem gambling, with children as young as 10 becoming addicted. One individual, now 24, reported losing $2,000 by age 15, starting with birthday money at age 12. The addiction led to drug use and mental health issues that he is only beginning to recover from.
Data from Gambling Help Online shows a 16% increase in contacts from people aged 24 and under in the 2022-23 financial year, with 600 of 2,136 requests coming from Victorians aged 15-24. Public health experts say this represents only a fraction of those harmed and call for comprehensive bans on all gambling marketing, stating self-regulation by the industry is ineffective.
A joint study by Federation University and the Victorian coroner found that between 2009 and 2016, 184 of 4,788 suicides in the state were gambling-related. Australians lose about $25 billion annually on legal gambling, the highest per capita in the world, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Children are exposed to gambling through sports and online environments, with one study finding nearly a third of Victorian secondary students had gambled in the previous 30 days. Influencers and advertisements on platforms like YouTube promote gambling, often using virtual items known as 'skins' and 'loot boxes' that can be traded for real money, bypassing age restrictions.
Professor Samantha Thomas from Deakin University says children as young as eight find gambling ads appealing and have high brand awareness. She describes the gambling industry as 'one of the most agile, hi-tech, health-harming industries' and notes that innovations like chat functions in betting apps and TikTok posts are particularly attractive to young people.
