Rising Pressure for a Total Ban on Gambling Advertisements

A retiree plays electronic poker machines at the Randwick Labor Club in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 21, 2012. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

Demands for gambling reform are rising in Australia, with politicians, athletes, and other prominent Australians supporting the call for a total ban on gambling advertisements.

A letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton calling for a complete ban on gambling ads is set to be published on Aug. 13 by the Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR).

Many important figures supported the letter, including former state premiers, Dominic Perrottet, Jeff Kennet, and Steve Bracks, and former prime ministers, Malcolm Turnbull and John Howard.

“Many Australians are alarmed about the proliferation of gambling advertising on our screens and the mounting losses through gambling,” Howard said in an AGR release.

“I believe gambling losses are responsible for enormous harm across the community.

“As an unapologetic sports fan, I am troubled by how advertising is now linked with all our major sporting codes and what message this is sending to our children.”

Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard speaks at his final media conference for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) in Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 9, 2007. (Robb Cox/Getty Images)

You Win Some, You Lose More Report

The letter comes after a 2023 report on the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs inquiry into online gambling and its impacts.

The report, “You win some, you lose more,” made 31 recommendations and was launched by the late Chair of the Committee, Peta Murphy MP.

Murphy said in a recommended for a phased, comprehensive ban on gambling advertisements within three years.

Murphy lost her battle to breast cancer December 2023.

Patrick Gorman, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, said in a doorstop interview that the government is working through the report to ensure serious action is taken to reduce gambling harms.

“We know that it does and can destroy lives, and there’s more the Government can do to reduce the harms of gambling,” he said.

The policy specifics put forward will be delivered by Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland.

“We [are] talking to all those involved, making sure that we get this right. Because it will be a really serious reform,” Gorman said.

Patrick Gorman, assistant minister to the Australian prime minister, speaks to media during a press conference after a visit to North Metropolitan TAFE in Perth, Western Australia, on Feb. 20, 2023. (AAP Image/Richard Wainwright)

Necessity for Ban

The Albanese government has implemented BetStop the national self-exclusion register and banned credit cards, ensuring people can’t use a credit card for online wagering.

However, AGR CEO, Martin Thomas, said a total ban on gambling ads is crucial to stop these companies from targeting children.

“Australians lose $25 billion a year to gambling,” he said.

“But the real cost of inaction—is the mounting financial ruin, mental health problems, suicide, and the family violence that gambling can exacerbate.”

Australia has the largest gambling losses per capita of any country. In a 2022 survey, around three in four adult Australians reported spending money on one or more gambling products in the past 12 months.

“Any decision to simply cap advertising, or limit a blanket ban to only social media, would be a win for vested interests and leave Australians exposed to significant harm,” Thomas said.

“We are calling on the government and opposition to commit publicly to adopting in full all 31 recommendations from the Murphy Report.”

Thomas said Albanese and Dutton have a chance to embrace effective reform and end the vicious cycle of gambling harm that destroys families and communities.