A GROUP of students from Wangaratta High School want society to perceive gambling the same way it does smoking.
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The young leaders will make a stand at this week’s Youth Parliament when they push for greater regulation of gambling advertisements.
Year 11 student Darcie Pegler, 17, used the example of how the prohibition of cigarette advertising with plain packaging had helped to limit the harmful effects of smoking.
“This bill is merely the first stepping stone in the eradication of gambling advertisements,” she said.
“We want to restrict the amount of gambling advertisements that are aired on prime time TV as well as pairing any pro-gambling advertisements with an anti-gambling advertisement in the same ad break.
“We propose hourly restrictions as well as separate restrictions for normal TV and prime-time TV.”
Darcie said there would be restrictions in place around major sporting events, such as the AFL grand final and the Melbourne Cup.
“We believe the most important aspects of the bill are the restrictions in place around the major sporting events.
“So many children watch these events each year; events that are considered family friendly.
“Children from a young age associate gambling as a positive pastime. We are trying to stop this.
“They are often hooked before they completely understand the concept of gambling.”
Darcie said the bill aimed to remove the potential for young people to be seduced by the bright lights, bells and whistles of gambling.
“We wish to ban billboards that promote gambling and also provide warnings on all games and applications that have gambling related themes,” she said.
Darcie said she and her fellow young parliamentarians were deeply passionate about the issue.
“The amount of money that is poured into the gambling industry could be used to better the economy and improve liveability in communities around Victoria,” she said.
“In Wangaratta alone there are major crimes committed every month as gamblers try to steal money to pay back their debts.
“The number of lives ruined due to gambling should be reason enough for the State of Victoria to adopt this bill.”
A Gaming and Liquor Regulation spokesman said the government shared concerns regarding problem gambling.