Around the world children raise and care for their virtual pets on the Tamagotchi electronic toys, but now the popular hand-held gadgets are to come under review by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) in Australia. Concerns have been raised that on the fourth day of the pet’s ‘life’ the screen requests the children to place bets on a simulated slot machine type game to win virtual rewards.

Whilst there is no proven link between problem gambling and the use of toys, there is some research that shows that children who are exposed to gambling are more likely to gamble as adults. The OFLC has been asked to either ban the Tamagotchi toys or to give them a rating of R18+. The review will determine whether the OFCL is able to legally rate the game. A South Australian anti-gambling MP has appealed to the Federal Attorney, the OFCL and toy retailers to classify or withdraw the game from sale.

Analysts describe the technological toy as part of a trend to blur the demarcation between games of skill and gambling. It is poker machine manufacturers that make the Tamagotchi toys and it is the poker machines, not casino gambling or horse race betting, that show the most rise in problem gamblers. The manufacturers have been accused of playing to a captive market and grooming children for gambling by introducing a gambling element to the toys. (E-08.22.05)

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