The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) recently announced that bettors in the state will soon be barred from placing sports wagers on minors—this applies to both open competitions that feature minors and minors-only events, such as U-18 competitions.
In the case of open competitions, bettors will still be able to bet on overall teams, but not any players who happen to be underage. For example, one can still bet on a soccer team to win a match, but not for an underaged player’s performance specifically.
This includes special “will they- won’t they” prop bets, individual over/under totals, or anything else that pertains to the performance of an individual who happens to be underage.
Competitions involving all minors such as U-18 tournaments, however, will no longer be offered at all.
In a release, the agency cited concerns about the vulnerability of minors in relation to betting, both in terms of potential match fixing as well as potential retaliation from scorned bettors.
“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,” Fran Thorn, VGCCC chair, said in the release.
The VGCCC has given licensed bookmakers 60 days to heed the new regulations, and Thorn cautioned that if anyone doesn’t comply with the new ban, the agency “will take action, which may include revoking our approval of sports controlling bodies and prosecuting betting providers.”
Betting on minors has been a topic of debate in the state for months, after the VGCCC sent letters to licensees in February reminding them of their obligations regarding harm minimization and responsible gambling. The letters sought to find out whether or not bookmakers had implemented any sort of measures to prevent the practice from happening.
