Latest news with #MarkKempster
News.com.au
09-08-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Mark Kempster had a problem one in four young blokes are going through, now he's waging war against Australia's fastest growing crisis
The day of the 2020 AFL Grand Final was a special treat for sports betting enthusiasts. The Cox Plate had collided with the MCG showdown in a punter's dream. It was also a bookmaker's dream. Untold millions would flow into the pockets of Australia's biggest sports betting enterprises as thousands loaded up multis and trifectas. For Mark Kempster, it was a day that changed him forever. Not solely because he lost $5,000, but because it became the catalyst for a change he knew was needed to keep his life from totally falling apart. That night, his partner scrolled through his phone and saw the full extent of his addiction. 'It was my rock bottom,' Kempster told 'I was a shell of myself. Angry, bitter. I'd gone from a young bloke who loved sport, loved life, to someone who hated himself. And I still couldn't stop.' He hasn't placed a single bet since that night. But he knows plenty of men in Australia are stuck in the same dark and seemingly inescapable pit he was in just five years ago. 'A casino in your pocket' To say sports betting in Australia has exploded over the past decade would be an understatement. In just five years, the number of Australians betting on sports has more than doubled, from about 7 per cent before the pandemic to 15.5 per cent by March 2024. Among young men, the numbers are even higher. One in four men aged 18–24 is now a regular punter, despite the crippling cost of living crisis that's hitting them hard. In the 25–34 bracket, it's one in three. Nearly 18 per cent of that cohort are classified as problem gamblers, meaning those who show a tendency to choose gambling over necessities like food and rent. While civil libertarians may argue gambling comes under the same umbrella as entertainment, and that a very small percentage of the pool of active gamblers are actually ruining their lives, the reality is that we're in uncharted waters when compared to the history of punting. It's is an entirely new breed of gambling built for the smartphone era. 'When I started, it was just a couple of us at the pub after footy,' Kempster says. 'But once gambling apps landed on our phones, it was over. I had 10 or 12 apps in the first year. Suddenly you could bet anywhere, anytime. No one saw it, no one knew. It just snowballed.' Sports betting among young adults is rising at an annual growth rate of forty per cent, according to the Alliance for Gambling Reform's CEO Martin Thomas. 'What we finding is there is a massive surge in sports betting, using your phone,' he told 'All the advertising is trying to make it part of your peer group and socially acceptable. I think that's probably driving the growth. 'Roy Morgan did some research that looked at the rate of online sports betting among 18- to 24-year-olds and it showed that already out of those people like one in four would be developing a gambling problem from sports betting, and the rate of sports betting growth is something like 40 per cent year on year. 'Poker machine growth is around 6 per cent year on year, so it's taking off with a rocket and I think some of the implications of that people potentially aren't going to casinos as much because they're sitting around a pub, betting with mates on their phone. 'Everyone really carries a casino around in their pocket.' Australia's hidden addiction Unlike the pokies, sports betting doesn't have the same visible shame. Any one of your mates could be struggling to fight their urges and plonk their pay cheque down every month. But unless they come to you for help, it's likely you'd never have a clue just how deep they've gone. 'There's a stigma around gambling addiction, but it's worse with sports betting because it's invisible,' Mark Kempster says. 'You can sit in your bedroom on your phone, betting on horses, on the footy, and no one knows. There's no physical change like with drugs or alcohol. You just become this … robot. 'It was comforting, in a weird way. I'd look forward to Saturday all week. I'd plan my whole day around it. Noon to six, the house was mine, my partner was working, my son was little. I'd shut everyone out. Just me, the races, the multis. It was the only thing I cared about.' Even when Mark knew he was addicted, he justified it by resigning to the fact that it was 'just who I was'. 'I'd tell myself, 'This is my money, I work hard, I deserve this.' But towards the end, I wasn't even enjoying it. It was just who I was. I thought I'd never get out.' 'Can't just watch a game anymore' Kempster says the embedding of gambling culture into Australia's youth is taken for granted. As a nation, we have simply become accustomed to putting on the footy and seeing a barrage of messages encouraging you to punt. 'You can't just watch a game anymore without being told you should bet on it,' Kempster says. 'That's what really got me. I loved sport. But over time, I felt like I had to bet on it. I couldn't just enjoy it.' Now, five years clean, the Tasmanian local speaks publicly and lobbies Parliament to rein in the industry. He's also sponsoring dozens of young men who reached out after hearing his story. 'They message me saying, 'That's me. I can't stop.' I know exactly how they feel. I had no one to relate to when I was going through it, so I talk. I say yes to every interview. If my voice stops even one bloke from going down the same road, it's worth it.' Australia is inching toward reform with talk of stricter ad bans, penalties for influencers promoting offshore bookmakers are climbing into the millions. But for now, the taps are still open, and the money is still flowing. 'There's definitely a place for gambling in Australia. But not like this,' Kempster said. 'Not where it's in your face 24/7, not where an entire generation of young blokes think they can't just watch sport anymore without a punt. 'That's how it gets you. Not all at once. Bit by bit, until you don't even recognise yourself.'
ABC News
26-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
What's been done since Australia's landmark gambling inquiry?
Tomorrow marks two years since a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling and its harms handed down its report, 'You win some, you lose more'. Led by the late Peta Murphy, the inquiry heard from victims, families, academics, and health experts, with all committee members supporting the final 31 recommendations. But two years on, the government is under mounting pressure to act on the recommendations. If you or anyone you know needs help, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Guests: Mark Kempster, gambling reform advocate, and Martin Thomas, CEO, Alliance for Gambling Reform Mark Kempster, gambling reform advocate, and Martin Thomas, CEO, Alliance for Gambling Reform Producer: Brooke Young Statement to Radio National Breakfast from the office of MinIster for Communications, Anika Wells "The Minister has had several meetings with harm reduction advocates, broadcasters and sporting codes as we seek to further minimise the harms of gambling. The Albanese Government has undertaken some of the most significant gambling harm reduction measures in Australian history. We know there is more to do, and we will continue with this we have: Established mandatory customer ID verification for online wagering;Banned the use of credit cards for online wagering; Forced online wagering companies to send their customers monthly activity statements outlining wins and new, evidence-based tag lines in wagering advertising;Provided direct funding for specialist financial counselling to support people affected by problem gambling;Introduced nationally consistent staff training;Introduced new minimum classifications for video games with gambling-like BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion access for pokies companies to the R&D tax incentive."
ABC News
25-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Antoinette Lattouf's win, gambling ads, WA's big little bug problem + how old are you?
An Instagram story re-share ended up in the Federal Court. Today, we're getting into Antoinette Lattouf's big win against the ABC. And it's been 2 years since a major report into gambling. Has there been any meaningful change? Plus, shot-hole borers are little, but they could become a big problem after WA authorities declared they can't eradicate them. Also, are bio-age tests even accurate? Listen now: 01:12 - Antoinette Lattouf's win against the ABC 05:57 - Has Australia got better at fighting gambling addiction? 19:25 - Shot-hole borers 24:17 - The truth about biological age tests Guests: Mark Kempster, anti-gambling advocate, Alliance of Gambling Reform Mark Kempster, anti-gambling advocate, Alliance of Gambling Reform Dr Hassan Vally, associate professor of epidemiology, Deakin University Get the whole story from Hack:
