Sport and gambling today - Are we loving the odds more than the game?

A panel of prominent Victorians, including AFL Premiership medal holder and former gambler Brent Guerra, Western Bulldogs President, Peter Gordon and Melbourne Victory chief, Ian Robson, will debate the issue of sport and gambling in the modern age at a forum next week.

The forum, featuring academics, social commentators, media personalities, sporting and gambling industry representatives, will be a key event for Responsible Gambling Awareness Week being held 12-18 October.

Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation chief executive Serge Sardo says after being held in May for the past nine years, the week has been moved to October to coincide with peak betting season.

"This major launch event is focusing on the impact of gambling on sport due to the ever increasing community concerns regarding the normalisation of gambling within sport". he said.

"Between the internet and smartphone technology, you now have the means to gamble in your pocket anytime, day or night, and through sport is where most of the promotion is occurring" he said.

Responsible Gambling Awareness Week is about increasing our awareness and understanding of how to prevent harm from gambling

"Responsible Gambling should not just be a throw-away line to be tagged on at the end of the ads.

"Responsible gambling is something that needs to happen on an individual, industry, sporting club or a community level and we need to talk more about what that means," said Mr Sardo.

Monday's forum will be facilitated by Walkley Award-winning journalist, broadcaster, author and academic Waleed Aly. It will also feature youth psychologist Dr Michael Carr Gregg, Deakin University Associate Professor Samantha Thomas, the AFL Players Association's Brett Johnson, sports broadcaster Tiffany Cherry and Sportsbet head of responsible gambling Bronte Campbell

Panel host: Waleed Aly

Panel members:

• Brent Guerra – RGAW Champion
• Peter Gordon – Western Bulldogs
• Ian Robson – Melbourne Victory
• Dr Michael Carr Gregg –youth psychologist
• A/Prof Samantha Thomas – Deakin University
• Brett Johnson – AFL Players Association
• Bronte Campbell – Sportsbet
• Tiffany Cherry – sports broadcaster

Sport and gambling today
10–11:30am
12 OCTOBER 2015
Harrison Room
MCG

Go to www.rgaw.com.au for details on other events being held across the state.