Australian government urged to install a national gambling regulator and ombudsman
The Alliance for Gambling Reform raises issue as part of public inquiry into the impact of gambling in the country
A leading gambling reform organisation has called for a national regulator and independent ombudsman in Australia as the debate around gambling continues to heat up.
The Alliance for Gambling Reform, which has previously argued for gambling advertising to be banned on TV and radio and restrictions placed on online marketing, has raised the issue for significant change in the industry.
The calls from the body come as the Australian government is currently undertaking a federal parliamentary inquiry into the industry.
The inquiry, led by Labor MP Peta Murphy, is exploring the harm of online gambling with its findings set to be released in H1 2023.
As part of the inquiry, the Alliance for Gambling Reform submitted comments arguing for a new regulator and ombudsman.
As it stands, gambling regulation in Australia is overseen by a mixture of state, territory and federal laws, with the group arguing for a co-ordinated, overarching national solution.
The submission read: “In the past year alone we have seen casino reviews in most jurisdictions, evidence of money laundering in pubs and clubs and increased advertising, promotions and inducements from online bookmakers. All reflect a failing regulatory system.
“Ideally, the different processes, legislation, departments and regulatory systems in each state need to be replaced with a single, independent, sufficiently resourced national regulator with gambling harm minimisation at the core of its purpose.”
The Alliance for Gambling Reform also called for the government to treat gambling-related harm via the lens of public health, as it does with tobacco and alcohol.
The calls for further change come as the Australian government confirmed it would require the industry to ditch the “Gamble Responsibly” tagline in favour of 10 new options.
The new taglines include: “Chances are you’re about to lose”, “Think. Is this a bet you really want to place?” and “What’s gambling really costing you?”.
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said online betting was “fast becoming an increasing source of gambling and an increasing source of loss for people.”
Rishworth also noted she would wait for the outcomes of the inquiry before deciding if further action was needed to curb the industry.