The government will limit gambling advertising in what it has called “the most significant gambling reform” Australia has seen, but it has fallen short of the key recommendations of a Labour-led report delivered more than 1,000 days ago.
Gambling ads will be banned in sports venues and restricted on television and radio broadcasts in a series of measures announced by the Prime Minister at the National Press Club on Thursday, which advocates have warned do not go too far.
Anthony Albanese was under pressure to respond to a landmark report led by late Labor member Peta Murphy that was submitted to the government in June 2023 and contained 31 recommendations, including a phase-out ban on all forms of online gambling advertising.
The new reforms will see gambling ads:
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Limited to three ads per hour on television between 6:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.;
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a ban on the radio during school drop-off and pick-up;
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Banned from online platforms unless logged into an over 18 user account; Users will still have the option to opt out of advertising.
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Ban celebrities and sports players from appearing in gambling add-ons and weird-style ads.
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Ban gambling advertisements in sports venues and on the uniforms of players and officials.
Albanians called it “the most important gambling reform ever implemented”, but the latest announcement falls short of the model envisioned by former communications minister Michel Rolland.
The model would have proposed banning all gambling advertising on social media and banning gambling ads on television one hour before and after live sports. It also proposed a cap of two ads per hour until 10 p.m., as opposed to three ads until 8:30 p.m.
The model has been heavily criticized by gambling reform advocates who say it does not do enough to protect Australians from gambling harm.
Albany said the government would finally deliver an earlier response to the Murphy report when parliament returns on federal budget day on May 12.
The Union’s chief advocate for gambling reform, Tim Costelloe, called it a “scary response” but welcomed the Prime Minister’s admission that “we are not protecting children from gambling”.
“In a country with the biggest gambling problem in the world, at least we had a reaction,” he told ABC television.
Costello added that the onus should be on the gambling companies not to advertise, rather than the adults who “have to” comply with the new rules.
Independent Rep. Kate Cheney, who was on the committee with Murphy, said the answer is “big on talk, small on substance.”
“It appears to be designed to ensure powerful benefits rather than minimize harm to many Australians facing the effects of gambling addiction,” Cheney said.
The Greens were more strident in their response, saying a complete ban on online gambling advertising was crucial.
Greens Senator Sarah Hansen-Young said: “These gambling industries are trying to get into the minds of Australians, particularly young people.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) was concerned that the reforms did not include a national independent gambling regulator, as suggested by the Murphy Review, and said partial bans were not working.
“We’ve seen this time and time again across public health. Anything less than a comprehensive ban will continue to discourage Australians – particularly children – from gambling,” said AMA Deputy Director, Associate Professor Julian Wright.
The government will also shut down illegal gambling sites and ban online “keno-type” products that “represent a major disadvantage to Australian gambling”.
“We’re getting the balance right, letting adults do what they want, but making sure our kids don’t see betting ads everywhere they look,” Albanese said.
“Because we don’t want kids to grow up thinking that fitness and gambling are linked. We want Australians to love sport for what it is. It’s fun, it’s heartbreaking. 43 years between camps for South Sydney, it’s highs and lows.”
Albani rejected the suggestions that ignored the important recommendations of the report and said: “The government decides the positions, not the committees. The government can inform through the committees, but the government appoints the positions.”
A report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) submitted to the government in 2019 found that a unilateral ban could lead to more advertising.
“A comparison of the volume of gambling ad spots in comparable periods before and after the change to broadcast rules found that the total volume of gambling spots on Australian television and radio increased by 50% between 2016-17 and 2018-19. This included an 86% increase in gambling spots in every regional TV spot and 46% in metro TV. Appears till 10.30.
Asked about the report, Albanese dismissed the findings, saying, “Well, too many ads can’t be played. That’s the point behind the restriction.”
Free TV Australia said it welcomed the focus on protecting children and vulnerable Australians from the harm of gambling, but said the measures should be “reduced” to protect broadcasters from losing out.
“We are concerned about the revenue impact these restrictions will have on services that require advertiser funding,” Free TV Australia chief executive, Bridget Fair, said.
There is widespread support for gambling reform across Parliament. Former opposition leader Peter Dutton pledged to ban gambling advertising for an hour before and after live sports broadcasts, while Greens and independent members including Andrew Wilkie, Kate Cheney and David Pocock pressed for reforms.
Members of the Labor Party want the government to act on the report’s recommendations. A group of Labor MPs said there was “frustration” at the lack of response or communication with MPs on the issue for nearly three years, despite widespread public support.
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