Online gambling ads are relentless. or signup to continue reading Whether you're watching your favourite team play on TV, mindlessly scrolling through social media, or even trying to scan an important document using what you thought was a credible app - there are flashy, high-octane, almost impossible-to-skip ads calling you to "bet big and win big." Worryingly, our children and young people are more likely to be attracted to them.
Behind these alluring and catchy slogans lies a crisis that's tearing apart the lives of countless Australians. As addiction psychiatrists, who treat people with gambling disorders, we see it every day. Our patients tell us how these ads act as a trigger, sparking their urge to gamble, even when they are trying their hardest to stop.
Gambling addiction has a devastating impact on an individual's life. We've seen relationships crumble, homes and money lost, and people driven to criminal activity as a result. Gambling harm is also linked to intimate partner and domestic violence, and economic abuse of women.
Online gambling is designed to be addictive. Imagine being haunted by the sounds and images of a mere app on your phone, that triggers a rush so powerful that it drowns out all reason. Not everyone can get help, and those who do only do it when they have been pushed to their limits by shame, stigma, and endless despair.
In our service, . In a Victorian study, . Gambling disorder is internationally recognised as a clinical condition, under the cat.