A recent investigation from Australia’s ABC News has discovered that three of the country’s biggest bookmakers—bet365, TAB and Sportsbet—offered wagers for the first-ever Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup cricket tournament, which was held in South Africa from January 14-29.
The event featured numerous players under the age of 18; in one particular match between Australia and Sri Lanka, approximately three-quarters of the combined players from both countries were under 18, with some as young as 15.
Australian gambling laws are much like the U.S. in the sense that they vary from state to state, but there are no current regulations in any jurisdiction that prohibits wagering on underage events.
Gambling reform has been a huge topic of debate all throughout the country, and the recent investigation has now sparked outrage among child advocacy groups who want new laws put in place to curb any gambling influence that may adversely affect games or the players themselves.
National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds told ABC News that underage athletes “are basically being used for profit by these online gambling businesses. They are businesses making a profit on our kids.”
In a statement to ABC News, Sportsbet said that it “does not provide betting markets for under 18 years of age competitions or events.”
Both TAB and bet365 declined to comment.
One particular concern that has been raised is the types of wagers that were offered. TAB and Sportsbet largely offered pre-match bets, which are the most popular type, but bet365 was said to have offered in-play betting as well, which is relatively new but gaining in popularity.
In-play wagers, as the name suggests, are live bets that are placed while the game is being played, which can raise questions about responsible gaming and game integrity.
Catherine Ordway, a sports integrity specialist at the University of Canberra, told ABC news that “the combination of in-play betting and young people raises red flags immediately.”
“We’ve seen grooming techniques used by match-fixers who target vulnerable people and try to convince them to throw matches or drop points to deliver a gambling benefit,” Ordway added.
Cricket Australia, the governing body for the sport nationwide, said in a statement, “While we cannot control what betting markets are offered on events played abroad, we acknowledge the valid concerns that have been raised and welcome any conversation that may improve our own frameworks to further ensure our young athletes are protected.”
