Labor’s proposed gambling advertising reforms will be examined by a Senate inquiry after attracting criticism from across the political spectrum for falling short of the recommendations of the landmark Murphy Report.
The legislation would cap gambling advertisements at three per hour between 6am and 8.30pm, ban celebrities from appearing in gambling and odds-style advertising, and prohibit gambling advertising at sporting venues and on the uniforms of athletes and umpires. It would also ban gambling advertisements on radio, and introduce measures to minimise children’s exposure while allowing adults to opt out of receiving gambling advertising.
The reforms, introduced by Communications Minister Anika Wells, omit several key recommendations made by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy in her landmark 2023 report, including a phased three-year ban on all gambling advertising, a ban on gambling inducements, a national public education campaign and a national gambling regulator.
On 1 July, Coalition, Greens and independent senators voted to refer the legislation to a Senate inquiry, delaying debate in the House of Representatives until 17 August. Speaking to The Catholic Weekly, Alliance for Gambling Reform chief advocate Rev Tim Costello welcomed the delay, describing it as “a great relief.”
“I’ve been talking to many of the [Liberals] who spoke up in the party room yesterday and said, ‘We cannot wave the Prime Minister’s weak reform package through,’” he said.
“The Labor assumed the [Liberals] would wave the legislation through, so I was very pleased to hear the [Liberals], the independents and the Greens standing up yesterday and inquiring into why the Murphy report hasn’t been enacted.”
Costello agreed with comments to media by independent Senator David Pocock and independent MP Andrew Wilkie, who argued the government had reduced the scope of the Murphy reforms because of competing interests.
“There has been a profound and insidious cultural shift where our kids can’t think of our athletes as nothing more than means to winning a multi,” he said.
“There are three vested interests at play, and the biggest one is free-to-air TV, where the television companies pay for the broadcast rights to sporting events with sports betting in the deal.
“There’s also the sports betting companies, who have made donations to parties on both sides of politics, and the AFL and NRL themselves, who have literally allowed the sports we love to become the Trojan horse which introduces gambling ads to our kids.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the reforms on 3 July, telling the ABC he believed the proposed legislation was “a comprehensive approach” to reducing gambling advertising while arguing greater attention should also be paid to poker machine losses.
“I’m not against someone having a punt on a Saturday. What I’m against is problem gambling, which overwhelmingly, by the way, is [seen with] the poker machines, which are regulated by the states.”
Australian Catholic University senior lecturer in marketing Dr Alexander Campbell told The Catholic Weekly advertising reform should be understood as one part of a broader effort to reduce gambling harm.
“I think it’s really important to remember that advertising doesn’t create gamblers. It’s just one factor which influences people to gamble because betting is such a normalised activity in Australia,” he said.
“We can take steps to remove advertising, but if we’re not addressing other behavioural factors which can cause people to gamble or experience gambling harm, you’re actually limiting the conversation people can have around that behaviour.”
While Campbell believes the reforms “probably don’t go far enough” in addressing the normalisation of gambling, he said they could still have broader effects.
“I would tend to agree that these reforms could help reduce pokies revenue,” he said.
“The reforms could also affect that commercial, profitable interest in gambling, and if that flows through, you could see the states adopt different rules and regulations around gambling advertising.”
The renewed debate has also highlighted the impact of gambling addiction and the importance of support services for those experiencing harm. Vanessa Harnischmacher, director of CatholicCare’s addiction counselling programs, said gambling harm is “a complex public health issue” and welcomed measures aimed at reducing exposure to gambling advertising.
“CatholicCare supports measures that aim to reduce gambling harm in the community,” Harnischmacher said.
“Limiting the volume and visibility of gambling advertising is a positive step, particularly where it may reduce exposure for vulnerable groups.
“Ongoing evaluation will be important to understand the effectiveness of these measures over time and whether further measures may be needed.”
Harnischmacher said clients frequently report gambling advertising acts as a trigger, particularly when they are trying to reduce or stop gambling.
She encouraged those experiencing gambling harm to seek professional support, saying people who engage with CatholicCare’s counselling services often report stronger relationships, greater financial stability, reduced stress and an improved sense of wellbeing.
