A gambling organisation aimed at children...ridiculous or reality?

Gambling is fun, right? It's the Australian way. We have industries built with the proceeds of gambling and the tax revenue helps pay for our roads and other government services.

Except the bit about gambling ruining lives, and families.

Research shows our young people are at risk of developing gambling problems because they are being bombarded with positive messages about gambling and don't understand the potential consequences. In fact one in five adults with gambling problems started gambling before the age of 18. And our children are being exposed to approximately two hours of gambling advertising each week.

Just two months ago I had a knock at my door. A boy who looked to be around 17 was selling student paintings on behalf of a local art school and I normally buy one each year. As I paid for my selection we started chatting. He told me he was working nights selling paintings to pay his parents back after he used their credit card details without their permission to place a bet and lost thousands.

I asked him why he'd done it. He said he'd won big before but had now lost even more chasing another win.  And now he's damaged his relationship with his parents and potentially developed a life-long addiction.

There is approximately one teenager in each classroom in Australia experiencing a gambling problem.

It seems absurd that children are encouraged to place a bet for the Melbourne Cup horse race each year at some schools under the guise of fun and the Rotary Club sells Trifecta tickets at local shopping centre, but it happens all the time. Melbourne school kids even get the day off from school on Melbourne Cup day. It's a public holiday for the entire state of Victoria in fact.

And now we have the smiling assassin, Tom Waterhouse, polluting the sporting events we love watching with our children. He pops up during State of Origin and other major sporting events we are watching with our familes. Go away already.

To highlight how ridiculous our gambling culture is becoming in Australia a new anti-gambling ad has been created showcasing the services of a face company called KidBet.  The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation campaign has launched mock commercials for the fake organisation.

KidBet is about raising community awareness of how gambling and sports betting advertising can affect young people. Their ad is part of a new 'Gambling's not a game' campaign which is informing school students, parents and teachers about responsible gambling and how damaging it can become.

Foundation CEO Serge Sardo said, “The ad is deliberately provocative because there appears to be a misplaced complacency around the issue.”

“Many parents are unaware of how the gambling environment has changed with gambling more accessible and prominent than ever before and increasing the risk for everyone, especially young people,” said Mr Sardo.

Watch this with your children today and visit kidbet.com.au.

What's your stand on kids gambling? Is it a blanket ban or do you make exceptions for occasions like Melbourne Cup?