McDonald's NeoPets Promotion Encourages Gambling

According to a report from seven.com.au, a NeoPets promotion at Australian McDonald's restaurants is encouraging young children to gamble. The article says a McDonald's NeoPets giveaway points kids to a web site where they play blackjack and other gambling games. It paraphrases a nine-year-old boy as saying, "If you don't gamble up enough points to feed your pet, it goes to the 'orphanage'." A child psychologist added, "This is a sure-fire way to turn our kids into gambling addicts."