Anthony Albanese announces gambling reform in major crackdown
Updated ,first published
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced restrictions on gambling advertising, including banning betting companies from appearing on sports jerseys and stadiums.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra on Thursday, Albanese announced the government would limit the number of TV ads for betting agencies to no more than three per hour between 6am and 8.30pm and ban all gambling advertising on radio during drop-off and pick-up times.
The new restrictions will also include banning cross-promotions that mix sports commentary with betting odds, ending advertising on jerseys and stadiums, banning online advertising aimed at people under 18 and blocking illegal gaming sites. Online Keno-type “pocket slots” would also be banned under Labour’s proposal, which has not yet been introduced to parliament.
Albanese told the Press Club: “We get the balance right. We allow adults to gamble if they want, but we make sure our children don’t see betting adverts everywhere they look. Because we don’t want children growing up thinking football and gambling are inextricably linked.”
But in its final political action before the death of the late Labor MP Peta Murphy, the government failed to prevent a complete ban on online gambling advertising recommended in a report published 1,000 days ago.
Asked whether the government had gone far enough in agreeing to a full ban, Albanese said: “This is, quite frankly, the most significant reform to gambling that has ever been implemented.”
This imprint revealed on Wednesday that Albanese will soon unveil his long-delayed crackdown on gambling advertising and that the reforms will include a phased ban on advertising in stadiums and on jerseys.
Responsible Betting Australia chief executive Kai Cantwell, which represents gambling companies, said its members supported evidence-based reform and had already reduced the volume of advertising during broadcasts.
“But this announcement, made with no advance notice and no real consultation, is a real blow to the industry,” Cantwell said. “This sector contributes almost $6 billion to the Australian economy, supports nearly 30,000 jobs and provides critical funding to the sports, racing and broadcast industries across the country.”
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Kishor Napier-Raman is senior business writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. He previously worked as a CBD columnist and reporter in the federal parliament press gallery.Connect with: X or email.
