My kid found an R18+ item in the Kmart toy section

"Err, that's not meant to be there, I told him - but it actually was."

Image: Supplied

I was at Kmart shopping for a gift for my son’s friend’s 9th birthday, when my son came running up to me.

“What about this, mum?” he said excitedly.

I looked down and there he was, holding a Pro Poker Texas Hold’em Poker Set, complete with 300 heavyweight poker chips. Suitable for ages 18+.

My first thought was, where did he find this? 

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"The poker set was next to UNO"

We were in the TOYS area of Kmart for goodness' sake. Surely it should be somewhere else, like the Sports and Outdoor section...or maybe (dare I say) the Men’s section?

Nope. There the poker sets were on the board games wall, clearly visible to my child alongside classics like UNO.

“I don’t think so, honey, that’s for older people,” I told my son, putting it back.

Call me uptight, but I couldn’t help feeling a surge of annoyance that Kmart was selling a gambling game on the games wall like it's Monopoly.

Nowadays, it’s becoming increasingly hard to shelter our kids from influences like social media and gambling. As a parent, I’m trying desperately to keep my children innocent for as long as possible, and it often feels like an uphill battle.

Image: Supplied

In recent years, reports have highlighted how young people are being inundated with gambling ads in their everyday lives.

The NSW Youth Gambling Study 2022 found that young people’s gambling attitudes and behaviours are shaped through social processes involving numerous changing sources of influence as they grow up. 

These include parents, peers, gambling advertising, sports interests, gambling opportunities, and monetary and simulated gambling products. These sources can exert risk and protective influences, the report found.

Children between 12 and 17 reported an unprecedented level of influence from a wide range of sources that promote gambling, and that permeate their home, school, social, media and digital environments. 

They reported being inundated with promotional gambling messages in their everyday lives, especially sports betting adverts and adverts for social casino games, which they interpret as promoting gambling. 

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Image: Melissa Noble

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"I questioned Kmart on the poker set"

I decided to ask Kmart about the poker sets and whether it’s appropriate to position them on the games wall of the toyarea. 

I also questioned whether another area of the shop might be a more appropriate location for the poker sets?

A Kmart spokesperson told me: “We have sold our Pro Poker set for several years, and it is one of our much-loved adult gaming products. The set comes with clear age recommendations and is displayed to help our customers make informed purchases.”

Okay then. Obviously, I get that the games wall is for adults, too. Maybe it’s not a problem for Kmart. Perhaps other parents aren’t concerned. 

But I for one, felt it was a little bit off having a poker set on sale right where kids are bound to be hanging out and looking for things - like my son.

Originally published as My kid found an R18+ item in the Kmart toy section