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<\/a><\/p>\nGambling Inquiry Web Page (Source: Parliament of Australia)<\/p>\n
More than two and a half years have passed since the Murphy inquiry report was tabled in Parliament and still no response from the Albanese Government.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
To be precise, as of 2 January 2026, that\u2019s 919 days of policy paralysis.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even the gambling industry has now come out calling for \u2018certainty\u2019<\/a>, one way or the other (this is not to be taken as an MWM sympathy call for the industry).<\/p>\n Industry not idle<\/p>\n A Freedom of Information (FOI) response from the Minister for Communications, Anika Wells, and her department have revealed industry lobbying that\u2019s been taking place.<\/p>\n Murphy Report on gambling reform delayed by sports bet lobby<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Shortly after Labor\u2019s 2025 election win, the large media companies were making their gambling income case to Government.<\/p>\n On 25 June 2025 both WIN Corporation and, separately, Foxtel met with Minister Wells to talk about wagering advertising.<\/p>\n Meeting Brief for WIN Corporation (Source: FOI)<\/p>\n On 23 July 2025, Nine Entertainment met with the Prime Minister and Minister Wells for 20 minutes. Gambling advertising was the key topic.<\/p>\n Meeting Brief for Nine (Source: FOI)<\/p>\n To be fair, it is noted that Minister Wells also met with the Alliance for Gambling Reform on 25 June 2025 and the Gambling Harm Lived Experience Experts on 28 August 2025.<\/p>\n A request for access to the Prime Minister\u2019s activities on gambling reform has not received a response.<\/p>\n Rex Patrick Tweet<\/p>\n Secrecy<\/p>\n There is no need for secrecy when it comes to gambling. And yet, the Government is engaging in it.<\/p>\n On 7 June 2025 MWM made an FOI request for access to, amongst other things, \u201cthe latest draft (or final) of the Government response to the House Inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm.\u201d It revealed that 18 November 2024 32 page draft response was in existence.<\/p>\n The Inquiry Response Does Exists (Source: FOI)<\/p>\n But the Government wasn\u2019t interested in sharing its thoughts with the Australian public. Three years of inaction on an issue that causes great harm, including suicides, and the Government was \u2018yes ministering\u2019 the public stating that disclosure of the draft response,<\/p>\n could reasonably be expected to prejudice the ongoing deliberative processes related to cabinet functions which do not meet the strict criteria required for an exemption under s34, but would disclose sensitive material about policy development processes which have yet to be decided upon and finalised. This information remains current and is not already in the public domain. I consider that premature disclosure of this information would weigh heavily against the public interest.<\/p>\n The decision maker confused \u2018departmental interest\u2019 for \u2018public interest\u2019.<\/p>\n A response to a second request made on 29 October 2025 delivered more secrecy claims.<\/p>\n More Secrecy Rolled Out (Source: FOI)<\/p>\n MWM will challenge the FOI decision.<\/p>\n Government complicit in harm<\/p>\n Gambling is a trade in misery. The House Committee\u2019s key focus was the harm that gambling causes: psychological, health, relationship, legal and financial harm, as well as being a key risk factor for suicide.<\/p>\n RoboDebt was disgraceful maladministration that caused great harm, including suicides. The motive for Robodebt was to (illegally) fill the public purse. Gambling is a disgraceful business that causes even greater harm, including suicides. <\/p>\n The motive for online gambling advertising is to (legally) harvest money into commercial entities\u2019 bank accounts. It\u2019s well established that the gambling business impacts most heavily on lower socio-economic groups and communities, siphoning off money from the less well off and delivering it into the accounts of billion dollar businesses. \u00a0 <\/p>\n As shocking as Robodebt was, inaction on gambling is worse.<\/p>\n That the Labor Government continues to sit, not just silently but also secretly, on gambling advertising reform is a disgrace. They know what harm is being caused, and they that harm is being inflicted on what were some of their core constituencies, but they wilfully allow that to harm to continue.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s an ugly story that tells us a lot about who Labor now serves.<\/p>\n A hot mess. The \u2018irregulation\u2019 of sneaky Sportsbet<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n![\"Meeting](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rex-ads2.png\")
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