igamingbusiness and other media (January 19) report that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged the Australian government to introduce greater restrictions on gambling advertisements in the country.

In May of last year, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced a ban on betting ads on television, radio and the internet during sports events broadcast live between the hours of 5am and 8:30pm.

However, according to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, although UNICEF has praised Turnbull and his government for their efforts so far, it said that more must be done to protect children from gambling-related harm in the country.

Citing recent research, UNICEF said as many as 82% of teenagers are gambling each year in Australia, while 15% of youngsters aged between 12 and 17 are at risk of developing a serious gambling problem.