English
Ian lives in Melbourne's outer west, and started gambling when he was just 15 years old.
He would continue doing so for 34 years.
“In one session I could gamble 5 or 600 dollars, it just depended on the availability of money. I never stole but I did take out loans, and then struggled to pay them back so it was pretty much what I could get my hands on.”
But, worried he was going to lose a relationship with his children, he gave it up.
“The harm that gambling did to me was first of all the loss of connection to family and friends, the loss of connection to my kids. High debts, lost a home, almost lost a job. There was a negative effect on my mental health with that depression, anxiety and panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal attempts.”
At the end of a gambling ad is a familiar phrase urging people to gamble responsibly.
“You know the score, stay in control, gamble responsibly.”
Ian says it doesn't work.
“That tagline is terrible, it puts all the responsibility back on the individual and not on the process. I think it's the process that is what it causes the harm.”
But the government says from next year, companies will have to rotate through seven new phrases on TV and radio ads that promote online gambling.
Here's Federal Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth.
“So what the states and territories and the commonwealth have agreed is on seven new taglines that will have to be rotated that online wagering companies will have to display on TV ads, on social media, online, radio. These have been very well researched, over 8000 people have been consulted, it's evidence based.”
Among the new lines are
“Chances are you’re about to lose.”
“What’s gambling really costing you?”
“You win some. You lose more.”
Ian is hopeful they will work.
“Chances are you're about to lose is a good one because that's literally what's about to happen, I think the others are all quite catchy and all quite appropriate as well.”
Australians are among the biggest gamblers in the world.
The latest data from 2019 shows more than a third of Australian adults gambled at least once in a typical month, with an average monthly loss across all gambling of 133 dollars.
That loss rises to 232 dollars for betting on racing.
Australians spent three and a half billion dollars on racing in 2018-19, while a further one billion was lost on other sports.
Tim Costello from the Alliance for Gambling Reform wants sports betting ads banned all together.
“So Italy and Spain have said you can have a sports bet app, adults should be free to gamble, I've never been a prohibitionist, but you're not going to advertise, zero. That's what we should get to here. We need to actually say why does Australia have the greatest losses in the word, we have the most irresponsible gambling policies in the world.”
Responsible Wagering Australia, which represents online betting companies, declined SBS's request for an interview.
It says its members fully support the objective - but have concerns about how the new measures will be implemented.
Italian
Ian vive nei sobborghi ad ovest di Melbourne, ed ha iniziato a scommettere quando aveva appena 15 anni.
Avrebbe continuato a farlo per 34 anni.
“In one session I could gamble 5 or 600 dollars, it just depended on the availability of money. I never stole but I did take out loans, and then struggled to pay them back so it was pretty much what I could get my hands on.”
Preoccupato di rovinare i rapporti con i suoi figli, Ian smise.
“The harm that gambling did to me was first of all the loss of connection to family and friends, the loss of connection to my kids. High debts, lost a home, almost lost a job. There was a negative effect on my mental health with that depression, anxiety and panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal attempts.”
Al termine di una pubblicità di scommesse c’è la famosa frase che raccomanda alle persone di scommettere responsabilmente.
“You know the score, stay in control, gamble responsibly.”
Ian ha detto che non funziona.
“That tagline is terrible, it puts all the responsibility back on the individual and not on the process. I think it's the process that is what it causes the harm.”
Il governo ha detto che dal prossimo anni, le compagnie di scommesse dovranno alternare sette nuove frasi negli spot pubblicitari che promuovono le scommesse online in televisione e in radio.
Queste sono le parole del Ministro federale dei servizi sociali Amanda Rishworth.
“So what the states and territories and the commonwealth have agreed is on seven new taglines that will have to be rotated that online wagering companies will have to display on TV ads, on social media, online, radio. These have been very well researched, over 8000 people have been consulted, it's evidence based.”
Tra le nuove frasi ci sono:
“Hai buone probabilità di perdere”
“Quanto ti costa davvero scommettere?”
“Vinci un po’. Perdi di più.”
Ian spera che queste frasi funzionino.
“Chances are you're about to lose is a good one because that's literally what's about to happen, I think the others are all quite catchy and all quite appropriate as well.”
Gli australiani sono tra i maggiori scommettitori al mondo.
Gli ultimi dati del 2019 mostrano che un terzo degli australiani maggiorenni scommettevano almetno una volta al mese, con una perdita mensile media tra tutte le scommesse di 133 dollari.
Questa perdita sale a 232 dollari per scommesse sulle corse dei cavalli.
Gli australiani hanno speso tre miliardi e mezzo di dollari in corse dei cavalli nel 2018/19, mentre un ulteriore miliardo è stato speso su altri sport.
Tim Costello della Associazione per la riforma sulle scommesse vorrebbe che tutte le pubblicità sulle scommesse vengano rimosse.
“So Italy and Spain have said you can have a sports bet app, adults should be free to gamble, I've never been a prohibitionist, but you're not going to advertise, zero. That's what we should get to here. We need to actually say why does Australia have the greatest losses in the word, we have the most irresponsible gambling policies in the world.”
Responsible Wagering Australia, che rappresenta le compagnie di scommesse online, ha declinato la richiesta di intervista da parte di SBS.
Ha detto che i propri soci supportano pienamente l’obiettivo, ma sono preoccupati sul modo in cui queste nuove misure verranno applicate.
Report by Sean Wales for SBS News.
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