Government Facing Heat for Postponing Gambling Ad Ban to 2025

Gaming coins are displayed at a booth of the Global Gaming Expo Asia in the worlds biggest gambling hub of Macau on May 20, 2014. Philippe Lopez/AFP via Getty Images

After months of parliamentary debate and promises of an imminent ban on gambling ads, the government has delayed the measure until next year.

The announcement came 18 months after a landmark review, chaired by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy, recommended phasing out these ads on TV.

Housing Minister Clare O'Neil stated the issue was “complicated” and would require more time to address.

“If this was a really simple problem to fix, then it would have been fixed a long time ago,” she said on ABC Radio. “It falls to us to make sure that we get the balance right.”

As part of her efforts, Communications minister Michelle Rowland, has been consulting with stakeholders, experts, and affected individuals.

Australians lose about $25 billion (US$16 billion) gambling every year, the most in the world on a per capita basis.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously acknowledged that the current state of gambling advertising, particularly where children are exposed to it, is “untenable.”

On Aug. 13, he told Parliament that the government was working with the relevant ministers to address the issue comprehensively.

However, the government’s failure to take more immediate action continues to draw widespread criticism, with many calling for more decisive steps to protect Australians from the harmful effects of gambling.

Opposition and Experts Demand Action

Crossbench politicians and the Opposition have criticised the delay, with independent Senator David Pocock saying that the government is letting down the community by failing to act.

“We recognise the harm of gambling. We’re the biggest losers in the world,” Pocock told reporters in Canberra.

He said politicians have had ample time to act, pointing out that the government could quickly pass other reforms yet has failed to address the gambling issue.

“In 18 months, they can’t get their act together to legislate something, but at the same time they can ram through electoral reform and all sorts of other things in a very short space of time. This is absolutely gutless.”

The Greens and opposition parties have accused the government of caving into the gambling industry’s interests, with independent MP Zoe Daniel calling the government’s reluctance to act “really unfortunate.”

Greens communications spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, criticised both major parties for failing to action a ban on gambling ads.

“Everyone can see that Labor has caved, but no one should fall for Peter Dutton’s trickery: the Coalition was in Government for years and did nothing. Both are captured by the lobby while problem gamblers keep losing,” she said.

Call for Stronger Legislative Action

In August, 60 prominent Australians, including former prime ministers John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull, sent a letter to party leaders asking the prime minister and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to commit to implementing the 31 recommendations from the federal inquiry into online gambling.

These recommendations aim to curb what the letter describes as “a tsunami of gambling ads targeted at Australians, especially children.”

The letter also called for a ban on inducements and promotions that encourage people to gamble, especially those who are attempting to quit.

Despite pressure from community groups and repeated questions in Parliament, the Albanese government has yet to commit to a complete ban on gambling advertising.

AAP contributed to this article.