Racing’s ‘kiddie picks’ gateway to gambling

The horse racing industry has seen better times and has been making admirable efforts to increase and broaden its appeal, including to young families.

But two racing clubs have gone a step too far, in the view of the Problem Gambling Foundation, when they offer “kiddie pick” prizes to children who pick a winner.

It may sound like a harmless promotion — there appears to be no money at stake, the kids can choose three horses in a race and they win lollies if one comes in.

But the foundation director calls it a gateway to gambling, “almost grooming . . . introducing them to the whole thing of reward, picking a jockey on a horse and watching it race and wanting it to win and getting a reward”.

That is pretty much the whole appeal of racing for the punter.

If the industry is going to get more young families going to the races, it cannot rely only on pony rides, face painting, puppeteers and a bouncy castle.

But age restrictions apply to other forms of gambling for good reason — the experts think addiction can be created in childhood.

NZ Racing is sensitive to the risk. It says the “kiddie pick” promotion is something it would discourage and expects the clubs to reconsider.

Parents, too, may need to consider the risk if the whole family enjoys picking horses for any sort of reward, a sweepstake of a dollar each or even just a few sweets.

It is too risky. Back to the facepaint and bouncy castle.