If cricket is a family game, what's with all the gambling ads?

My 8-year-old son is obsessed with all things cricket. He always has been.

We were at the first day of the Sydney test this year because he won a cricket competition. He was one of the Milo kids standing in front of the Australian team for the Anthem Ceremony.

We had the most wonderful day.

But two instances during our country’s cricket of summer have left me horrified and wondering whether my kids should be watching the game (that they love so much) at all.

The first occurred during the Boxing Day Test. We were away with my ten-year-old son, and equally cricket mad, nephew. The boys were watching the cricket but before the day’s play began, the commentators launched into all the betting odds, and how they can place bets.

The second event that greatly disturbed me occurred while watching the game live. An image then presented itself that was impossible to ignore. With each wicket, the entire stadium audience would turn to the big screen to see the replay of the wicket. But before the wicket was shown, a bet365.com.au advertisement would appear. There was no escaping it.

The game of cricket is very clearly aimed at kids, as well as the adults. The Milo kids stand with players during the anthem, the whole of the lunchtime entertainment are the Milo kids playing cricket. We were sitting in the bay with all the Milo kids, and most of them know the players better than a lot of the adults.

Warner, Cowen, Siddle, all fielded near us, the kids all called their names, desperate for a wave. They idolise those players, and the power of advertising is very strong. The ‘Big Bash’, and it’s bright colours, exciting tempo and loud music is all aimed at kids. Test cricket has seen a revival, and the kids love it.

The merchandising shop has children’s team shirts, for all forms of the game. My son only wears his ‘One Day’ player cap, or Sydney Thunder shirt (I have trouble getting it off him to wash!) My son, when he was very little, amazed me when in a shop started begging for a Gatorade drink.

I asked how he knew about Gatorade, he answered, “that’s what the cricketers drink”. We all know the huge Gatorade drinks cart comes out onto the field. I did not realise he even paid attention to it.

How do they distinguish between that sort of advertising, and the gambling advertising for a purely adult activity?

I did a drinks run while at the game live and my son came with me. He is not allowed to stand in the queue with me for alcohol, he has to stand behind the ropes. That is fine, I can explain to him that beer is an adult’s drink. No one is allowed to smoke at the grounds anymore, which is terrific, as I loathe the habit.

Yet the contradiction of the strict controls of these ‘evils’ within our society, compared with the gambling message and its visual impact (and audio at times) all over the ground, leaves me wondering how our policy makers have allowed such an obvious contradiction?

The emphasis on gambling, and in particular the recent sponsorship deal with bet365.com.au, tarnishes the image of the game. I understand that sport needs sponsorship to survive, and I can even cope with the very prominent signage around the ground (if completely necessary). But this is too much.

Arguably, the second most important job in Australia – after that of being Prime Minister – is the Australian cricket captain. Yet our national sport, the one the kids love, is being overrun with gambling advertising.

Gambling has largely managed to fly under the national radar. Alcohol and sport, before that smoking and sport, – these were once closely aligned and now due to regulations, it is no longer the case.

Apart from the fairly lone voice of a couple of Independents in Parliament, both sides of politics are allowing the issue of gambling to fly under the radar. Gambling affects people from all parts of life. And we’re drumming the message that it is okay into our kids from a very, very early age and using the influence of their heroes to do it.

Julie Barnes is a stay-at-home mum of 3 kids, including an 8-year-old cricket tragic son.  She was an English/History teacher before that, and is prolific reader (or would like to be if she had more time).

What do you think of the way gambling adverts feature in sporting coverage? Should there be greater restrictions?