Independent ACT senator David Pocock has described planned gambling advertising reforms as “infuriating” and has called on politicians to put “vested interests” aside to combat gambling addiction.

On April 1, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced “the most significant reform on gambling that has ever been implemented” in a Press Club address.

The announcement came more than three years after the landmark Murphy review into gambling advertising was handed down.

Labor’s reforms included capping television gambling ads at three per hour between 6am and 8.30pm, with a total ban on radio during school pick-up and drop-off times, as well as banning adverts on social media and streaming platforms unless users are logged in and aged over 18.

Adverts that use celebrities or athletes, odds-style ads targeting sports fans, and ads in sports venues or on players’ uniforms would also be banned.

However, Senator Pocock, an 83-times capped Wallaby representative, has slammed those proposals, telling ABC Sport Daily that “partial bans don’t work” as he accused the government of not putting the Australian public first.

David Pocock, wearing a Wallabies jersey, puts his hands on his hips

David Pocock played 83 times for the Wallabies, retiring from international rugby after the 2019 World Cup. (Getty Images: PA Images/Ashley Western)

“Per capita, we’re the biggest losers in the world,” Senator Pocock told ABC Sport Daily.

“Gambling has been normalised by gambling advertising to the point where three out of four young Australians now think that gambling and betting on sport is just a normal part of enjoying sport.

“It is devastating to hear people talk about either their experience or, in the most tragic cases, talking about a loved one that has taken their life due to gambling addiction. 

“The thing that often comes up in that is that people who know they have a problem and are trying to deal with it, they say you cannot escape it. 

“Everywhere you turn, there are ads. When you’re on a losing streak, you’re getting inducements. 

“So I find it not just disappointing, but actually really infuriating that we have political leaders that, in some instances, won’t even meet with those people, but must know that harm is happening and still put vested interests ahead of actually just protecting Australians, doing the right thing.” 

Senator Pocock has not been afraid of speaking up against gambling advertising in sport during his time in office — in October last year, he was briefly kicked out of the parliament’s social sports club after he raised concerns that a gambling industry lobby group, Responsible Wagering Australia, was a paid member.

Senator Pocock plays touch footy at Parliament House.

David Pocock was briefly kicked out of the Parliament House sports club for raising concerns over the gambling lobby having access to politicians. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)

But he is far from the only member of parliament to raise concerns that the proposed reforms do not go far enough.

Liberal MP Simon Kennedy described the move as “underwhelming,” independent MP Kate Chaney said they were “feeble half measures,” and Greens senator Sarah Hanson Young said the prime minister “squibbed it”.

Pocock reinvited to pollie sports club after PM weighs in

The former star Wallabies player turned independent senator was kicked out of the social sports club after raising concerns about its links to the gambling industry.

Senator Pocock said the pervasive hold gambling has on professional sport in Australia was fundamentally changing what sport stood for.

“The report from Peta Murphy and her colleagues actually raised concerns and said, ‘listen, we’re losing sight of what sport is actually about in this country’. 

“It’s no longer just about the enjoyment, the community, the challenge. It’s now just becoming a sort of avenue to market gambling.”

Mr Albanese said, when announcing the partial advertising ban, that it was important to ensure that people can still bet if they want to and to strike a balance.

“We are getting the balance right, letting adults have a punt if they want to, but making sure that our children don’t see betting ads everywhere they look,” Mr Albanese told the National Press Club.

“Because we don’t want kids growing up thinking that footy and gambling are inextricably linked. We want Australians to love sport for what it is.”

David Pocock stands in the Senate.

David Pocock is a staunch supporter of gambling reform. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)

Senator Pocock slammed that as a “ridiculous argument”.

“No one is saying that we should make gambling illegal, that there’s a ridiculous argument that gets rolled out by the prime minister and others,” Senator Pocock said. 

“All we’re saying is let’s actually protect young Australians. Let’s not put people in a situation where it is so hard to find help.”

Trash or treasure? Albanese’s big gamble

Labor still has to figure out how to deliver its chosen gambling reforms and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Senator Pocock is calling for a full ban on gambling advertising to be implemented, although he did note that the reforms proposed by the prime minister were still “better than nothing”.

“History shows us that partial bans don’t work,” Senator Pocock said.

“That’s why this landmark Murphy report, which was backed by every party in the parliament and every independent in the parliament, said a three-year phased-in ban and all gambling advertising is the only way that we can actually deal with this. 

“The government, when they announced they were going with a partial ban … if you actually read the government’s own analysis, it shows that a full ban would be cheaper to implement because there’s less regulation involved — it’s just a blanket ban that comes in over three years and would actually provide more benefits to Australians. 

“So we’ve got a government that has gone for the option that doesn’t actually put Australians first.”

Senator Pocock acknowledged that sports derived a significant income from gambling advertising, with current NRL boss Andrew Abdo and former AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan — who is now CEO of Australia’s largest gambling provider, Tabcorp — both on the record as saying gambling sponsorships helped fund grassroots and the women’s game.

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan speaks during a media conference in front of a white, red and blue backdrop with the AFL logo on it.

Former AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan, who now heads Tabcorp, said funding from gambling sponsorship supports grassroots and the women’s game. (AAP: Joe Castro)

However, he countered that by saying advertising in this way normalised gambling and set “young people” up for failure.

Senator Pocock instead proposed placing a levy of around 1.5 or 2 per cent on every bet placed in Australia, which he said would “more than compensate” the codes for that loss of advertising revenue. 

“I’m a former professional athlete, so I get what this means for sports,” said Senator Pocock, whose 14-year career encompassed stints in Perth, Canberra and Japan before he retired in 2020.

“But I think we’ve all got to step back and say, well, what is sport actually for? 

ABC Sport Daily podcast

ABC Sport Daily is your daily sports conversation. We dive into the biggest story of the day and get you up to speed with everything else that’s making headlines.

“And I think, at its core, sport is about so much that is good in our society, a place where communities can come together, get to know people that you otherwise wouldn’t hang out with, challenge yourself physically, mentally and be part of something bigger than yourself. We cannot lose sight of that. 

“As to the raw dollars and cents, something like a levy could actually ensure that there is more money for things like grassroots sport, for women’s sports. 

“I think it’s a real cop-out from some of these CEOs who give us this line rather than actually doing what’s in the best interest of their fans, of their players. 

“I’m a little bit cynical about some of the lines that we get, but I do get the financial side of things. 

“The thing I say to my parliamentary colleagues is, well, let’s solve that. There are clearly ways to get around that — and it’d probably be cheaper for us as a society.

“This is just about political will, and yet again we’re seeing vested interests being put ahead of the interests of the Australian people.”