Awkward conversations with tweens about everything from smoking and alcohol to sex and drugs have become a fact of life. Uncomfortable? Maybe. Necessary? Without a doubt.

And so it is these days with yet another, perhaps less obvious, public health issue; gambling.

Remember when you could watch sport without seeing a gambling ad? The thing is, kids don't.

Bombarded by an excess of ads, invitations, promotions and inducements delivered via smartphone, TV, computer, billboards and at matches, a large majority — 75 per cent — of kids aged 8–16 years believe that betting on sport is normal.

By 18, many have started betting themselves, unaware or ill-equipped to manage the associated risks and potential harms, which range in manifestation and severity but typically involve one or a combination of financial hardship, emotional distress, family conflict and difficulty with work or study.

Sport-related gambling turnover soaring

The turnover from sport-related gambling in Victoria has increased significantly over the past decade and is putting young men, especially, at greater risk of gambling harm.

This is borne out by newly released research led by Dr Rebecca Jenkinson of the Australian Institute of Family Studies, Weighing up the odds: Young men, sports and betting, which looked at the motivations, attitudes and behaviours of 18–35-year-old men exposed to gambling advertising.

An alarming, but not surprisingly high proportion (70 per cent) of the 335 bettors in the quantitative study of more than 400 young men were found to be at risk of, or already experiencing, gambling harm. Of these, 15 per cent were considered to be over the threshold for "problem gambling" as measured by the Problem Gambling Severity Index, a tool for estimating a person's risk of gambling problems and, consequently, harm.

Eighty-one per cent reported having used at least one form of betting promotion in the previous 12 months, such as sign-up bonuses (58 per cent) and multi-bets (49 per cent). And two-thirds (64 per cent) said they had bet on sports while affected by alcohol, half of whom spent more money or placed more bets than they would have had they not been drinking.

Bettors who gambled weekly were significantly more likely to spend more on bets across more sports, use multiple online betting accounts, be motivated by boredom and chase losses — all warning signs of harm.

So what does this tell us?

Kids targeted by gambling industry with deep pockets

By the time they are teens, and certainly before they reach adulthood, kids are being influenced by an industry with deep pockets that, according to the Standard Media Index, spent $234.5 million on gambling advertising in Australia in 2016, up from $89.7 million in 2011, excluding sponsorships and in-program content. It's no wonder young adults are engaging in risky gambling and experiencing harm.

While both state and Commonwealth governments have recently taken action to address where and when the gambling industry can promote its products, the community too has a responsibility to ensure that young people have the knowledge and tools they need to think critically, and make informed choices, about gambling.

As part of her research, Dr Jenkinson also conducted interviews with a small sample of CEOs and regional general managers of Victorian sporting clubs and leagues, parents and bettors.

The majority felt there was a need for greater regulation of sports betting advertising, and most noted that sports betting was too easily accessible, especially for those who might be experiencing harm.

Clubs must help members make informed gambling choices

Interestingly, all of the sports administrators interviewed believed that sporting leagues and clubs should play a role in supporting members to make informed choices about gambling.

The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation is partnering, through our Love the Game program, with elite soccer, rugby union, cricket and all 10 Victorian AFL clubs, as well as 300 community sporting clubs, to counter the normalisation of gambling in sport.

The decision by these clubs to reduce the exposure of fans and players to sports betting advertising, and thereby challenge the assumption that sport and betting go hand-in-hand, demonstrates the importance they place on this issue. I applaud their commitment.

This weekend's dedicated AFL Victoria Love the Game Round provides an opportunity for all Victorians — fans and players alike — to share and celebrate as a community all the things we enjoy about footy, which have nothing to do with gambling.

And it offers an ideal opening for parents, teachers, coaches and other influential adults to talk to the kids in their care about gambling risks and harms so that they can develop a balanced, realistic understanding of how gambling works.

You and I know that sport and betting don't have to go together. It's time to let kids know that, too.

Love the game, not the odds.

Louise Glanville is CEO of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.