I have written several articles about the predatory gambling cartels in Australia. Seriously, they are somewhere between the American NRA and Columbian criminal gangs in ethos and practice. You can read the pieces I’ve written here and here. It is especially bad in the Australian state of Victoria where the Victorian Government led by Daniel Andrews, supposedly the most “progressive” government in the country, is fully and utterly captured by the gambling cartels. In fact, I’d allege that the Andrews Government is running a protection racket for the gambling cartels in exchange for the vast sums of money that the cartels pour into the Victorian Labour Party.
I'm in Canada and sport betting has taken off since single-game betting became legalized in 2021. In the province of Ontario, our conservative government has *welcomed* third-party betting operations--and the ADS are a plenty! I'm very surprised your liberal government has been championing these efforts.
"The federal government has made it legal to gamble on individual sporting events, bringing legitimacy to a murky industry on which Canadians already spend billions of dollars a year."
"Canadians have been betting on sports for a long time, but there's been a relic in the Criminal Code that has prevented betting on individual events," said St. Catharines, Ont., MP Chris Bittle, who attended the event.
"We have an opportunity to regulate, control it and take the money out of the hands of organized crime."
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How would you respond to any government attempting to regulate a "black market" sports betting environment?
Thanks Mike. A few years back, I wrote many letters such as the one below to almost every politician I could find (Victorian and Federal), and also to a range of governmental agencies and law groups. No one seemed to be too concerned. I only received a couple of replies from politicians that showed concern. The situation in Victoria, as you say, between the Labor government and gambling business is very cosy and lucrative. They simply ignore the societal devastation they cause.
I encourage everyone to keep writing to their Members of Parliament, and as many politicians as possible to try to prick their consciences into action.
All the best with it.
Regards,
James
To whom it may concern
I would like to voice my serious concerns about the pervasive nature of gambling advertising and its very negative effects on children, teenagers and families, both at sporting events and in media such as television and social media, and refer you to the Joint Select Committee on Gambling Reform's Inquiry into the Advertising and Promotion of gambling services in Sport, 2013.
Judging by the amount of gambling advertisements on television (during viewing hours for children) and at sporting events such as AFL games, the Inquiry and its recommendations do not seem to have had much of an impact and this issue needs to be revisited as a matter of urgency.
Gambling and gambling advertising harms children and will have devastating societal and psychological effects in the short and long term for many people.
Please could you raise this at the highest level and take action to ban gambling advertising on television and at Australian sporting events?
Scott, except that Bud Lite doesn't sit outside an AA meeting hand out two for one drink vouchers. Bud Lite doesn't pour huge money into political parties and offer jobs to politicians at the end of their political careers.
This is intense Mike!
I'm in Canada and sport betting has taken off since single-game betting became legalized in 2021. In the province of Ontario, our conservative government has *welcomed* third-party betting operations--and the ADS are a plenty! I'm very surprised your liberal government has been championing these efforts.
From a CBC article:
"The federal government has made it legal to gamble on individual sporting events, bringing legitimacy to a murky industry on which Canadians already spend billions of dollars a year."
"Canadians have been betting on sports for a long time, but there's been a relic in the Criminal Code that has prevented betting on individual events," said St. Catharines, Ont., MP Chris Bittle, who attended the event.
"We have an opportunity to regulate, control it and take the money out of the hands of organized crime."
--
How would you respond to any government attempting to regulate a "black market" sports betting environment?
Thanks Mike. A few years back, I wrote many letters such as the one below to almost every politician I could find (Victorian and Federal), and also to a range of governmental agencies and law groups. No one seemed to be too concerned. I only received a couple of replies from politicians that showed concern. The situation in Victoria, as you say, between the Labor government and gambling business is very cosy and lucrative. They simply ignore the societal devastation they cause.
I encourage everyone to keep writing to their Members of Parliament, and as many politicians as possible to try to prick their consciences into action.
All the best with it.
Regards,
James
To whom it may concern
I would like to voice my serious concerns about the pervasive nature of gambling advertising and its very negative effects on children, teenagers and families, both at sporting events and in media such as television and social media, and refer you to the Joint Select Committee on Gambling Reform's Inquiry into the Advertising and Promotion of gambling services in Sport, 2013.
Judging by the amount of gambling advertisements on television (during viewing hours for children) and at sporting events such as AFL games, the Inquiry and its recommendations do not seem to have had much of an impact and this issue needs to be revisited as a matter of urgency.
Gambling and gambling advertising harms children and will have devastating societal and psychological effects in the short and long term for many people.
Please could you raise this at the highest level and take action to ban gambling advertising on television and at Australian sporting events?
Thanking you in anticipation.
Yours sincerely,
James Victor
(Concerned Citizen)
Mike, couldn't the same things be said about alcohol consumption?
Scott, except that Bud Lite doesn't sit outside an AA meeting hand out two for one drink vouchers. Bud Lite doesn't pour huge money into political parties and offer jobs to politicians at the end of their political careers.
Point taken. However, I do think Bud Light should be eliminated as a crime against humanity. It should be illegal to even call that beer. :)