The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) will ban betting on all under-19 sports competitions and any betting on the performance of individual players under 18 in junior and senior sport.
VGCCC sent letters to the bodies controlling all major sports and to sports betting providers, saying that it has “determined that permitting betting on minors is contrary to the public interest and poses potential integrity and gambling-related harm concerns”.
These concerns include the susceptibility of minors to approaches seeking to undermine the integrity of a sporting event and normalizing gambling on events involving children.
The ban prohibits offering bets on: sporting events where all participants are minors, sporting events for under-19s, open events where minors are playing, meaning a bet can be placed on the open event ‘team’ but not on particular outcomes for players in the team who are under 18 years old.
The VGCCC is also instituting the same ban for any other sports that are not governed by an approved sports controlling body.
VGCCC chair Fran Thorn said “The idea that it is okay to bet on minors just doesn’t stand up. We think minors deserve to be protected. It also raises integrity issues, with the prospect of people attempting to influence how minors might behave playing sport.”
“If sports controlling bodies and betting providers do not comply with this decision we will take action, which may include revoking our approval of sports controlling bodies and prosecuting betting providers.”
