Influencers and other individuals who promote gambling on social media will be targeted under the Albanese government’s proposed laws restricting advertising, but several Labor MPs say the measures don’t go far enough.
Communications and Sport Minister Anika Wells said the proposed changes would aim to target people who promote gambling online.
“One of the things we wanted to do with this package of reforms is address the influence of influencers in this space,” Ms Wells told the ABC.
She said the government was primarily focused on children “incidentally” being exposed to gambling advertising.
“At the heart of the package, which is really significant reform, is trying to remove the insidious effect of gambling advertising on children where they experience it incidentally,” Ms Wells said.
Small Business Minister Anne Aly said the proposed changes were “strong” and would not need to be amended as they pass through parliament, amid criticism that included voices from within the government arguing “much more” needed to be done to protect Australians from gambling harm.
“Having a flutter, or whatever it’s called — I don’t gamble, so I don’t know — having a flutter is really part of Australian culture,” she said.
“It’s part of what we do, so this is difficult reform, but it is reform that we need to undertake.”
The Greens, Coalition and independent are also putting pressure on the government to strengthen elements of its proposed changes.
Macarthur MP Mike Freelander, who is a paediatrician and also the Labor co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Reducing Gambling Harm, has told the ABC he views his party’s bill as an important first step.
“It’s very good that we are at least recognising that there is a problem and that we are starting the process of reforming advertising and improving some of the controls, but there is much more that needs to be done,” he said.
Labor MP Louise Miller-Frost, who is the chair of the parliamentary committee that previously recommended sweeping changes to gambling ads, said the proposed bill was a “really good step forward”, though she would like to see “more”.
“I think there’s a lot of us that think it is unfinished business,” she said on Thursday. “Advertising is certainly a part of it, but I would like to see the federal regulator, and I would like to see the ban on incentives.
“I think the inducements for people to come back are targeted, they’re predatory, and they’re nasty.
“This is a really great step forward, but I’m really hoping we can continue on that path.”
Labor released an exposure draft of its proposal in May, with only minor tweaks expected in the version to be made public on Tuesday.
Greens push for inquiry into Labor’s bill
The government’s plan includes restricting gambling ads on daytime and early evening television, during school pick-up and drop-off hours on radio and banning advertisements in stadiums and on player jerseys.
It would also ban online ads for users aged under 18 and require social media platforms to develop an “opt out” system for adults.
Sarah Hanson-Young has slammed the proposed reform, which she says is “half-arsed”. (ABC News: Callum Flinn)
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has called the reforms “half-arsed” and demanded a parliamentary inquiry into Labor’s bill.
“The government needs to grow a spine here,” she said.
“Stare down the gambling lobby, stare down the big online media companies that are reaping the benefits of their advertising.”
Coalition considers tougher ban
Issues being discussed in the Coalition party room include extending the broadcast advertising restrictions to all sport — both live and replays — and the lead-in coverage to games regardless of the time.
Former opposition leader Peter Dutton proposed a similar ban on ads during and around live sport in the last term of parliament.
This Liberal took his teacher to gambling anonymous
Under Labor’s current plan, a restriction of no more than three adverts an hour would apply between 6am and 8.30pm, while after that gambling promotions could be aired during breaks, like half-time or weather delays.
The Coalition is also debating if it would be more effective to make online gambling advertising an “opt-in” system for Australians, rather than Labor’s plan to ban ads for children and establish an “opt-out” mechanism for adults.
Discussions have included limiting so-called “inducements,” such as bonus bets.
There are concerns in the party room about protecting free-to-air television, as the sector is already facing structural issues due to advertising declines and would be further hit by gambling ad restrictions.
Shadow Assistant Finance Minister Simon Kennedy, who is also the Liberal co-chair of the parliamentary friends group focused on tackling gambling harms, said he would fight for stronger protections that put Australian families ahead of the gambling sector.
“This is an industry that only profits when Australians lose,” he said.
“That is a damning indictment of this government’s failure to protect vulnerable Australians.”
Labor fears inquiry would delay action
Communications Minister Anika Wells said she would leave the prospect of an inquiry into the bill up to the Senate but warned against gambling harm advocates delaying the legislation.
Kids to see gambling ads despite Labor laws
“I would say every day that gambling harm reduction advocates and their supporters in the parliament argue for an extended Senate inquiry, further public inquiry, the other side of the fence uses that as a reason to delay implementation,” she said on Tuesday.
“To me, delaying actual reform and actual implementation isn’t worth further consultation on a piece that has been very publicly and prolifically discussed for three years.”
Ms Wells described Labor’s reforms as “very significant” and confirmed the package would include a levy on wagering companies to pay for a new public ad campaign for BetStop, the national gambling self-exclusion register.
“At the moment we know BetStop is the most effective thing to help people suffering from the harms of gambling reduce their practice, but only one in three people who made a punt in the last 12 months actually know about it, so that’s about building that awareness,” she said.
Pocock says PM ‘squibbed’ laws
Independent ACT senator David Pocock has proposed a raft of amendments that he said align with the original recommendations of the ‘You Win Some, You Lose More’ report authored by late Labor MP Peta Murphy in 2023.
The amendments include a comprehensive ban on gambling ads across all platforms within three years and banning gambling inducements.
Senator Pocock also wants any opt-out mechanism for gambling ads online to be “easy to find, straightforward” and “not designed in a way to discourage people from opting out”.
David Pocock has backed reforms to completely scrap gambling ads on live sport. (ABC News: Luke Stephenson)
He has also backed the Dutton-era Coalition policy to ban advertising during live sport regardless of time.
Senator Pocock said Labor’s current draft proposal would not protect Australians, including children, from the harms of gambling advertising.
“Faced with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to break the nexus between gambling and sport and stop Australians being the world’s biggest losers on gambling, the prime minister has squibbed it,” he said.