Gambling companies target young men, Lateline reports

Monash University researchers say gambling companies are increasingly targeting young men with disposable incomes, ABC’s Lateline reported last night. 

Lateline’s John Stewart said that young male sports fans between the ages of 18 and 35 are being targeted because they are prepared to take risks with their income and are very connected with technology.

One young student who works part-time shared his story: “You just feel sick, sick through your stomach,” he said. 

“You can get very, very down. I've been through times when I'm extremely depressed… You can gamble, lose all your money, have nothing to live off for the next month, but still act as if everything is fine."

He said because the internet is available 24/7, it’s hard to resist.

Samantha Thomas, Senior Research Fellow at Monash University told Lateline that the advertising strategy is working and more are increasingly turning to online gambling.

“One thing that we've seen from our research is that young men are betting more and more, particularly on special events… like who's going to win the Brownlow or the Coleman medal.”

Mission Australia ACT Gambling Counsellor Karen Rendell agrees said that the ease of online betting makes it particularly attractive to men:

“It seems very convenient, they can do it at any time and it’s secretive - no one needs to know,” she said. “The ability to smoke while gambling is attractive to some”.

“With people involved in traditional forms of gambling, such as playing the pokies, we can recommend that people leave their credit cards at home, but it’s a different story when you’re betting online.”

View last night’s Lateline report and read the transcript.

Last year Southern Cross University researcher Dr Sally Gainsbury, warned that the rise of smartphones with mobile internet access is fuelling betting on sports matches Read more in ‘Rise in betting on the net a concern’. 

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Find out more about Mission Australia's Gambling Counselling and Support Services in the ACT and New South Wales.