The online gambling industry is growing than ever in the country. With this “alarming” rate, some experts already consider online gambling as an Australian epidemic. In fact, online sports betting are the number one favourite pastime of many Australians.
Reports show that websites that offer sports betting, lottery and free bets bookmakers experienced a significant growth in online traffic in just six months. This translates to 23 percent more traffic or at least 5 million increase on web visits during that period. Without a doubt, these numbers back up the idea that the online gambling industry is indeed getting bigger. However, should we start worrying about the adverse effects of this growth?
The Australian Government and Gambling
The government analyses the data in a different perspective. For them, the growth is favorable for the country. This means that Australians are playing more on government-regulated online gambling sites rather than spend their bucks at illegal foreign gambling websites. Basically, it is a big win for the government. Federal and state authorities get to collect more tax from these Australian-based gambling sites.
However, not everyone sees it the way the government makes out of the situation. According to the Alliance of Gambling Reform, groups formed by religious sectors and communities would want the online gambling industry to be more tightly regulated. This initiative stems from the escalating gambling problems that are affecting families.
Impact of Online Gambling to Australian Households
According to studies, children with parents that are problem gamblers are affected by gambling in more ways than we thought. To start with, parents who are addicted to online gambling are oblivious to the harmful things that they are inflicting to their children because of their gambling problems.
Usually, extreme form of gambling addiction leads to theft or behaviors that are morally wrong. When children experience these kinds of behaviors from their parents, it will knock them sideways and/or psychologically scar them for life. In some cases, children blame themselves for these things.
Gambling addiction also results to violence in the family. Gamblers are usually grumpy and irascible. They get piqued when they lose or when they can’t make a bet. More often than not, this triggers domestic violence. At the end, children get hurt and emotionally distressed by their situation.
