About one in three Australian children is rolling the data on their futures, losing more than $ 18 million to play each year.
The latest discoveries released by Think Tank, the Australian Institute, show 30% of 12 to 17 -year -old moves, with a spiral figure for almost half of children aged 18 to 19.
There are 600,000 teenagers playing each year.
Game renovation advocates say it is the result of a deliberate attempt from the gambling industry to take care of children from playing from a young age.
“There is evidence that the gambling industry targets 14 -year -olds through social media, asking them to download game ads, and the saturation of game ads around our main football codes is also attracting children to play,” said Martin Thomas, chief of Alliance for Gambling Reform, Martin Thomas.
“It is alarming and tragic to understand that the number of teenagers who play under the legal age would fill the MCG six times.”
The alliance is asking for all candidates in the upcoming federal elections to commit to the recommendations made after Murphy’s inquiry about the on -line game, chaired by the late Peta Murphy Labor MP.
The 2023 report of the inquiry found an advertising “torrent” and simulated bets through video games was to take care of children to bet and encourage the riskier behavior.
He recommended a total elimination of all gaming advertising for three years.
Although the review was unanimously supported by Parliament without dissident comments, the work dragged the feet in the game’s renovation, although it increases the pressure to ban betting ads.
Australians already accumulate the biggest game losses in the world, putting $ 244.3 billion in bets every year.
Game rates have increased since 2019 and average annual losses increased from nearly $ 2000 per person to about $ 2500, according to the Australian Institute report.
The total game losses of the country at US $ 31.5 billion rival the entire economy of the northern territory and are larger than the $ 21 billion lost to play in all Las Vegas, the report added.
