A caucus in the ruling Labor government in Australia is growing increasingly impatient with the delay in implementing gambling advertising reform.
Calls are being made for communications and sports minister, Anika Wells, to speed up the process, as some MPs ask for a meeting with the cabinet member.
Pro gambling ad reform MPs receive comprehensive support
Around a dozen Labor party MPs are pushing Wells to take action, with one source within the government talking of a” groundswell” of support for stricter regulations on gambling advertising.
One Labor MP told the Guardian: “It’s fair to say frustration is growing within people I’m speaking to and that the frustration is probably because they’re not having the opportunity to have those conversations,
“It’s not going to go away. It’s not just us driving it. There are other members of parliament who are driving this from outside the party and we need to be doing something about it.”
In its 2022 “You Win Some, You Lose More” report, a federal parliamentary inquiry chaired by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy recommended a sweeping overhaul of online gambling advertising in Australia, arguing that the “inescapable torrent” of ads normalized betting and groomed children to gamble.
The committee’s central recommendation was for a phased-in ban on online gambling advertising over three years.
It will start with restrictions on inducements, social media and ads during school pick-up times, moving to prohibitions on online ads and betting commentary around sports broadcasts, then banning ads on major broadcast media during key hours, and culminating in a complete ban on all online gambling advertising by the end of the period.
Criticism from both sides of the aisle on implementation time
Shadow communications minister, Melissa McIntosh, was scathing in her assessment of how long it was taking the government to put forward a comprehensive gambling advertisement reform.
She said: “The harms of gambling on individuals and their families are broad and pervasive, from problems in relationships, the family home, on work or study and to people’s physical and mental health,
“How much longer will the Albanese Labor government sit on this report and do nothing while so many Australians suffer?”
Meanwhile, Labor MP Jerome Laxale, posted on social media: “We owe it to the communities impacted every day by gambling harm to keep this issue on the national agenda and deliver real change.”
Ramifications for Australian gambling sector
While proponents of reform believe action will reduce the volume of gambling promotions Australians see across media, sport and online, which in turn will have ripple effects on behaviour, public health and the industry itself, others are concerned.
It is believed part of the reason for the delay is the government researching ways to cover the financial void facing sporting codes and media companies as a result of any ban materialising.
A spokesperson for the Albanese government said: “The Albanese government takes seriously our responsibility to protect Australians – particularly children and young people – from the harms of online gambling,
“We will continue working to protect people from the harms of Australian gambling. That is why we continue to meet with harm reduction advocates, broadcasters and sporting codes as we seek to further minimise the harms of gambling.”
Australia to join other mature markets if ban goes through
Gambling advertising restrictions similar to those proposed in Australia already exist in other markets, offering a roadmap for how such reforms could play out.
Italy introduced a near-total ban in 2019, prohibiting gambling ads and sponsorships across television, digital media and sport, while Belgium followed in 2023 with a sweeping ban covering most media channels and a phased removal of gambling sponsorships from professional sport .
Other European jurisdictions have opted for targeted or partial bans. The Netherlands forbid untargeted gambling ads in 2023, allowing marketing only to verified adult customers, while Spain restricts gambling advertising to overnight broadcast windows and limits celebrity endorsements and sports sponsorships .
In Nordic and regulated-market models, exposure is curtailed even further. Norway effectively bans gambling advertising by private operators under its state-monopoly system, while countries like Germany impose strict timing and content limits around live sports broadcasts.
Policymakers behind these measures argue that reducing advertising volume helps de-normalise gambling and limit harm, particularly among young and at-risk audiences .
Studies claim gambling advertising ban influences gambling behavior
Calls for a gambling advertising ban have been growing louder around regulated spaces for years now as a result of comprehensive studies from leading research bodies.
An umbrella review of 1024 studies investigating the impact of gambling advertising published on PubMed in 2023 found: “Gambling advertising restrictions could reduce overall harm and mitigate the impact of advertising on gambling-related inequalities. Public health harm prevention strategies should include policies which limit exposure to advertising, particularly among children and vulnerable groups.”
However, others argue a balance must be found. After gambling ad restriction recommendations were released in the You Win Some, You Lose More report, Bill Shorten, a former minister for NDIS and government services, said: “I’m not convinced that complete prohibition works.” Referencing the financial trouble of free-to-air media in Australia, Shorten added: “That’s the discussion we’re not having.”
Frustration within Labor is no longer behind closed doors. MPs tell the Guardian they are worried the government risks being ‘caught flat-footed’ if the reform stalls any longer, a rare show of public impatience from a typically disciplined caucus.
