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The slogan for the responsible gambling foundation, Kidbet, insists that “kids and betting should never go together”. Well, good luck with that.
Kids like to bet, just as I did when I was a kid. And although the disappointment of being hustled out of my prized tombola by the schoolyard sharpshooter stayed with me for some time, it didn’t prevent me from betting with mates on all kinds of schoolyard games.
Things haven’t changed much over the decades, except that kids these days prefer to challenge each other through computer games rather than race their billycarts or pushbikes for ‘dosh’ or smokes, as we did when we were kids.
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It was after my grade-five teacher organised a class sweep on the day before the Melbourne Cup (which I won on Gala Supreme) that set me on the path to punting. By the time I was in high school, I’d often ask my father to lay small bets on my behalf at the local TAB. And as I got better at betting, he took me to the track for firmer on-course odds through the bookies.
Racing spoke to me through the form guide. And I particularly remember studying it with immense intensity after my high school mathematics teacher convinced me that punting was indeed a science.
With patience, diligence, mathematical knowledge and a semi-professional attitude it was possible to win. He did, however, emphasise that winning was no easy feat. Nothing of value comes easy. This was the first bit of advice I took out of school and applied to life beyond the track. So there you have it, something good can come from punting.
My teenage plunge into punting also taught me to accept responsibility for my actions. There was no point blaming others for my dumb bets. And as my dad often reminded me before we’d head off to the track, “If you feel like a mug and look like a mug, then you probably are a mug”.
The problem with online betting these days is that it keeps the mug punter out of the public frame. The emergence of remote gambling has given the mug punter anonymity, shielding him from kids’ view.
Children are less likely to see blokes blowing their entire week’s wage on a single bet and attempting to retrieve it in the next race with the rent money, as we used to see. And they won’t hear the tobacco-affected voice whispering tips and cursing as one losing ticket after another was ripped with nicotine-stained fingers.
The permanent look of disappointment and disgust was the face of the mug punter that we came to recognise. And if this wasn’t going to warn us of the dangers of gambling, then nothing would.
Understandably, the racing industry prefers to focus on the glamour and fun of punting, ignoring the wagering tragedies that unfold online every day. In fact, the Australian Racing Board, in its submission to the Gambling Productivity Commission inquiry, makes no secret of targeting young adults through the provision of digital features and devices that makes the delivery of mobile gambling easier for the younger generation.
The confluence of high-speed broadband with the rising steam of television advertisements is set to draw a digital-dependent generation to a world that promises instant gratification and success.
The gambling advertisements that appear before, after and during scheduled breaks in all live sport and sporting programs, between the hours of 8.30am and 4pm, as well as after 7.30pm, give the impression to the sports fan that a good win is just a click away, suggesting that quick easy money is immediate. All you need is a bit of luck.
There is no denying that gambling awareness organisations such as Kidbet provide excellent resources that engage teenagers and help them make informed choices around gambling. And the advice to parents and teachers on how to protect kids from the risks of gambling is invaluable. But to insist that kids should never punt probably won’t get us far.
My advice to kids who are keen to bet is to stick to horse racing. If you want to test your luck, then learn to read and study the form guide, preferably with your maths teacher’s assistance.
Stay away from simulated casino card games or electronic slot machines on apps and social media, which are essentially designed to corral a new generation of gamblers into suburban ‘poker machine’ lounges.
Finally, if you’re not prepared to put the time and effort into mastering the science of the punt, then don’t bother. You’ll only end up a mug.
Chris Fotinopoulos is a Melbourne writer, teacher and ethicist. Twitter @Cfotinopoulos
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