Gambling advocates urge porn-like age restrictions for betting apps
Anti-gambling advocates told a Senate committee that online betting sites should have age verification like porn sites.Summary
Speaking before a Senate committee reviewing the Digital Duty of Care Bill, representatives from the Alliance for Gambling Reform argued that underage gambling restrictions should mirror Australia's age barriers for pornography. Alliance chief executive Sunita Bose said online wagering has "very similar" potential harms to pornography and should be regulated the same way, noting the draft Bill currently requires age assurance only for pornography. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said underage gambling is an "open secret" among teenagers and that, unlike porn sites, betting websites have no block for users under 18. Reformed problem gambler Mark Kempster, now an Alliance ambassador, said three-quarters of a group of 120 teenage boys at a high school had either placed a bet or checked odds, often using accounts set up by older friends, and that he has spoken to about 30 minors this year showing early gambling problems. The advocates called for the online betting services to be named in the Bill to strengthen child protection.
(Source：PerthNow)