‘Dodgy lotteries’ facing ban as Albanese moves to shut down new betting front
Australia’s thriving online keno and offshore lottery industries will be decimated by Labour’s gambling ban, Communications Minister Anika Wells has said, citing recommendations of an influential report calling for strict betting rules.
After crossbetting MPs attacked the government for failing to impose a blanket ban on betting advertising, Wells dismissed the turquoise independent group as irrelevant for intending to “throw stones from the sidelines” with “no skin in the game and no input into how to balance”.
“Clearly, [there are] Following Labor’s announcement of its long-delayed policy on sports betting, Wells said there were a lot of moving parts and a lot of stakeholders with passionate views and loud voices in the mix.
“[We] we have always felt the need to give a little to everyone; this is the truth. Our aim was always to achieve something that got the balance right. “We were disciplined in getting results, not just appeasement.”
Wells’ battle with the cross-over debate underlines the emotive debate over gambling advertising sparked by a 2023 report led by former Labor MP Peta Murphy. He called for all advertising to be phased out to reduce Australia’s undesirable reputation as a world leader in personal gambling losses.
Before the last election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese scrapped a proposal to limit advertising after TV and sports bosses worried about revenue, sparking disappointment among his supporters.
Some of Albanese’s colleagues felt the reform had foundered, especially after Labour’s massive election victory de-emphasized the priorities of independents who would be key in a hung parliament, which was a live possibility during the campaign.
Albanese told colleagues last year that he was unconvinced by the idea of the amendment, believing the proposal would create a backlash and that he did not support a prescription for a nanny state that would never satisfy advocates ideologically opposed to gambling as a leisure activity.
However, the prime minister made a surprise announcement last week and was first featured in this byline; Limiting gambling adverts on TV to three per hour, banning sports stars from promoting betting, banning advertising in stadiums and on jerseys, and halting online advertising unless a platform can prove the user is over 18.
Advertising reforms have fallen short of the pattern set out by Murphy’s report. One area where Albanese and Wells went beyond Murphy’s recommendations was online keno and offshore lotteries; New forms of gambling that lawyers haven’t considered as Murphy’s investigation continues.
The government will push forward with new legal requirements that it believes will likely lead to bans on US-based firms offering backdoor access to $500 million lotteries. Companies offering the products reacted angrily to Labour’s announcement, leaving the industry confused about the precise nature of the new rules.
Wells, who was at the center of a scandal over politicians’ spending last year, argued that the restriction would protect “small businesses run by moms and dads such as newsagents”, charities that provide lotteries and legitimate Australian lotto businesses.
The Lottery Office, which sponsors the NRL’s Gold Coast Titans, is the main target. It is owned by David Railton Kennedy, who broke the record for the most expensive flat ever sold in Queensland when he purchased a $24.5 million flat last year.
“Ordinary Australians have been buying traditional lotto tickets for years without harming anyone,” Wells said. “These dangerous lotteries threaten people’s honest dream of winning the jackpot on Thursday night.”
Online keno products, which have grown rapidly in recent years, will also be banned, Wells said. Keno providers advertised that their products could be played on the bus, in bed, or while eating. Lottoland, which was banned from offering certain products in 2019, has re-emerged in Victoria to offer online keno. The long-established Lottery Corporation also offers online keno, but it represents only 3 percent of its turnover.
Wells said: “Online keno is a dirty industry. It’s hard to see any features that would make up for it.”
Teal MPs aren’t the only ones criticizing Labour’s gambling announcement. Liberal MP Simon Kennedy described the move as “inadequate” and independent senator David Pocock slammed it.
Wells has previously claimed that some politicians who criticize the government are doing so disingenuously, citing the legacy of respected Labor MP Murphy, who died of cancer in 2023.
“Even when some tried to publicly trap us, I chose not to fight back,” Wells said Wednesday. “We had the support of our group who trusted the Prime Minister and me to get this done. Instead of making public demands, they worked with us to deliver real reforms.”
Murphy’s widow, Rod Glover, who advises Labor prime ministers and is well-connected in the cabinet, said last week that the gambling package was “not perfect, but policy is rarely perfect”.
“This package represents a significant step forward on an issue the community cares deeply about, and I hope it will be supported by everyone in parliament and beyond,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “Peta would be very proud of today’s progress.”
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Paul Sakkal is Chief Political Correspondent. He has previously covered Victorian politics and won the Walkley award as well as the 2025 Press Gallery Journalist of the Year award. Contact him securely on Signal @paulsakkal.14.Connect with: X or email.
