Extract from The Guardian
A study last year found more than a million gambling ads had aired on free-to-air television and radio in Australia in just 12 months.
Exclusive: Discontent growing among advocates, crossbenchers and Labor MPs over delay in implementing 31 recommendations, including advertising ban.
Crossbenchers, gambling harm advocates and even some inside Labor are demanding the Albanese government speed up moves towards banning gambling advertisements, as pressure mounts on Labor to act.
Next week marks one year since Peta Murphy’s landmark gambling report was delivered, and a key Labor MP is planning to “urge” the government to respond soon. Discontent is growing over the government’s failure to respond to its 31 recommendations, including a ban on all advertising for online gambling.
In a letter to the government, Rev Tim Costello, the chief advocate for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, wrote there is “anger” in the community at the continuing gambling ads. He urged the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, to hurry up and announce action.
“We are now planning to publicly campaign in the lead up to the 12 month anniversary of the government’s receipt of the [Murphy] report,” the letter read. “We plan to praise the government’s work to date as well as anticipate more gambling harm reforms.”
Murphy chaired the social policy and legal affairs committee’s inquiry into gambling-related harms.
A study last year found more than 1m gambling ads had aired on free-to-air television and radio in Australia in just 12 months.
Murphy died in December 2023 from breast cancer.
Guardian Australia understands Labor MPs are anxious to hear the government’s plans to address gambling ads.
Susan Templeman, the Labor MP who became committee chair after Murphy’s passing, said there was “keen interest” from committee members to hear the government’s response.
“We respect the work that the late Peta Murphy and committee members did in hearing from witnesses on this complex issue,” she told Guardian Australia.
“Of course we recognise that the government has already taken actions but as the anniversary of the tabling of the report nears, I’ll be formally proposing that we urge the government to table its response.”
Kate Chaney, the independent for Curtin who was part of the Murphy inquiry, claimed the government had “sat on this report for 12 months”.
“It’s time the government showed some courage and stood up to the gambling companies, media and sporting codes,” she said.
The independent senator David Pocock, a former Wallabies rugby captain, said on Tuesday there had been “crickets” from the Albanese government, claiming on ABC radio “they don’t seem to have the guts to stand up to an incredibly powerful industry”.
Andrew Wilkie, the independent member for Clark, said the response was taking “way too long” and accused the government of being “scared” to act. Even gambling industry sources say they want to hear the government’s plans before the next election.
Costello and Martin Thomas, the interim CEO of Alliance for Gambling Reform, wrote to Rowland on 3 June, praising the government’s existing gambling reforms but insisting “we believe that nothing short of the full adoption of all of the 31 recommendations in the Murphy Report is needed to protect Australians”.
“We are extremely keen to see the government not only respond soon on this report but to respond in accepting all of its recommendations.”
They said more action on Murphy’s inquiry was “critically important” and would “be honouring the legacy of Peta”.
“We believe such a ban would respond to the public anger in the community over the proliferation of gambling ads as well as the concerns of parents trying to protect their children from the reach of a predatory gambling industry.”
A spokesperson for Rowland said on Tuesday that the government remained “firmly committed to minimising harms from online wagering”, and was still engaging with health experts and industry.
“The status quo of online wagering advertising is untenable and the government will announce a comprehensive response to the parliamentary inquiry in due course,” they said.
Kai Cantwell, the CEO of Responsible Wagering Australia, the peak body for gambling providers, said its members backed “reducing gambling advertising across all mediums through sensible measures”. This could include, he said, banning radio ads during school pickup and drop-off times or capping the number of TV ads allowed in an hour.
But Cantwell claimed “extreme overregulation” could have “catastrophic effects for Australian sport and broadcasters”, or drive gamblers to less regulated offshore markets. He urged the government to “work with the industry to build on current effective measures”.
Jodie Belyea, a close friend of Murphy who succeeded her as member for Dunkley, said in her first speech to parliament in March that she would advocate for the report’s findings, calling on colleagues to emulate Murphy’s “political courage”.
On Tuesday, the first-term MP again praised Murphy’s “extraordinary advocacy”, saying she was concerned about gambling ads.
“You don’t need to gamble to enjoy watching the footy … My view is that online sports gambling doesn’t make sport any better,” Belyea said.
“My hope is that we continue to work on implementing reform on this issue as a government and honour Peta Murphy’s legacy.”
Speaking to Guardian Australia’s Australian Politics podcast last week, Albanese said his government had made “some substantial progress” on gambling regulation, including the national BetStop self-exclusion register, new anti-gambling ads, and banning credit cards for wagering.
But he did not clarify when the response to the Murphy report might come, saying the issue was “not as simple”.
“We need to be careful that we deal with all of the consequences, that what we don’t do is just come up with a policy that just sees things go offshore and therefore no accountability, no tax collected,” Albanese said.
In Australia, Gambling Help Online is available on 1800 858 858. The National Debt Helpline is at 1800 007 007. In the UK, support for problem gambling can be found via the NHS National Problem Gambling Clinic on 020 7381 7722, or GamCare on 0808 8020 133. In the US, the National Council on Problem Gambling is on 800-522-4700
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