Gambling is strictly regulated by age in all Australasian jurisdictions. A person must be 18 years of age to gamble in hotel/club venues, casinos, TABs, to buy lottery products or to access legally available online gambling services.

Research shows however that young people may become aware of gambling at an early age - and that those who gamble while underage are more likely to experience problems, both in youth and in later life.

A number of gambling education programs have been designed and are in use throughout Australia.

The following section provides links to Australian gambling education websites where resources for both teachers and parents can be located.

Children and Gambling Watch List

The Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) provide a list of apps/games and information about any gambling themed content.  The Children and Gambling Watch List is a part of the Know Before You Load project funded by the Attorney General’s Department of South Australia. 

More information on the Children and Gambling Watch List is available via the link provided. 

NSW - GambleAware for Teachers and Youth Workers

This site brings together information and a range of free materials to help teachers and youth workers implement their own gambling harm prevention program.

NSW - Life Ready: Gambling Modules

Life Ready is a course designed by the NSW Department of Education to ready students for life post school, the content of which may be customised to the needs and interests of students.

The course includes the following options relating to gambling:

  • Online and device-based gambling;
  • Seeking help: gambling;
  • Some truths about gambling; and
  • Sports betting and gambling.

NSW - Reclaim the Game

Reclaim the Game is a GambleAware NSW initiative that aims to raise awareness of the potential risks associated with gambling on sports for young people, and gambling advertising in sport.  The program provides resources for sporting clubs, and advice for parents, to open discussion on the topic and facilitate participation in the program.

NSW - Supporting Young People

This site provides information and a variety of resources on how to educate and engage with children and teenagers on the topic of gambling.

SA - Gambling is No Game

This site provides information about key actions undertaken in South Australia help keep young South Australians safe in the online world and reduce their exposure to simulated gambling games.  

The site includes tips for parents on cyber safety for children - as well as information and research about young people, online activities and gambling.

SA - Here for the Game

Here for the Game is an awareness and education program for young people designed to address the growing presence of sports betting and advertising in the community.

The program provides free resources, including posters and videos for sporting clubs, and information for parents on how to start the conversation with their children.

SA - How to Support a Young Person

This section of the Office for Problem Gambling website brings together information and practical advice for parents regarding gaming and gambling. 

SA - Unplugged

Unplugged is a program designed to educate both parents and young people, 12 and over, about risky gaming behaviour.  

The program delivers free workshops focusing on internet gaming and the convergence of gaming and gambling online, exploring such features as micro-transactions, loot boxes and in-app purchases.

TAS - Know Your Odds

Know Your Odds is designed to raise awareness of responsible gambling by educating young people on how gambling and games of chance work. 

Information is delivered via brief video clips on the various subjects presented.

VIC - Love the Game, Not the Odds

Developed by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, Love the Game, Not the Odds, is a free program to raise young people's understanding of the potential risks of sports gambling and reduce their exposure to sports betting advertising.

Resources, including videos and social media, are provided for young people, their parents and sporting clubs who may wish to participate in the program.

VIC - School Education Program

Provided by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, the School Education Program is a free prevention initiative that supports secondary school communities to foster healthy and informed attitudes to gambling. 

The School Education Program offers:  free face-to-face information sessions for teachers, parents and students; units of work aligned with curriculum objectives across multiple subjects, and useful resources for schools.

Vic - The Bridge

The Bridge, available from the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, is a school education program about the risks of online gaming.  It's a free, creative program developed for upper primary school students that explores the potential risks of online gaming. The Bridge caters for all teachers, regardless of their knowledge and experience of gaming.

This program includes:

  • Victorian curriculum links (levels 5 and 6)
  • detailed lesson plans including starters, discussion themes, and learning intentions
  • animated videos and kinaesthetic learning activities
  • strategies for managing risks and keeping kids safe.

VIC - Video Gaming and Gambling

This section of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation website provides comprehensive information to help parents navigate and understand the world of video gaming, and the line between online gaming and gambling for young people.