Our relatives and acquaintances would inquire, “Well, who are you betting on this week?” That was the typical chat that took place, according to his sister Amy, who isn’t revealing her true identity.
In retrospect, she holds the normalization of gambling—the way it infiltrated their household and permeated social interactions—for her brother’s addiction and the pain he went through before taking his own life.
She says, “It just destroyed him physically and emotionally.” “We made every effort. Even though our family was tight, it’s clear that we were unaware of how terrible it was—it broke him.
Amy is just one of many people who have come forward to testify in a nonpartisan parliamentary investigation into the effects of gambling in Australia, the nation with the highest per capita wagering.
The investigation concluded that there were “few safeguards” to help individuals struggling with addiction and suggested 31 changes to prevent “grooming” a new generation of kids to gamble. The first change would be a phased three-year ban on advertising.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is currently under increasing pressure to act, both from outside and within his party, as polls indicate that most people are in favor of the proposal.
However, the government has hinted that it might choose to impose a cap on advertising instead. It has been mentioned how gambling’s ad money helps sustain the country’s failing free-to-air system.
