Australian government accused of being “too scared” to ban gambling ads

Australia’s Labour government has been heavily criticised for its decision to implement a cap on gambling ads by a leading reformer Down Under.

Peta Murphy, the Labour MP who passed away from cancer in December 2023, had initially proposed a complete ban on gambling adverts as part of her 31-point plan published last summer following a parliamentary inquiry.

However, the government looks set to move forward with plans to limit the number of gambling ads to two per hour on each channel until 10pm, in addition to a total ban an hour before and after all live sport.

In addition, the plans will still include a blanket ban on gambling ads on social media and other digital platforms. 

Under the current law, gambling ads are banned from five minutes before a sports match until five minutes after it finishes, applying from 5am to 8.30pm.  

The new proposals, devised by communications minister Michelle Rowland, have been met with backlash from lobbyists who wanted stronger measures in place.

Anna Bardsley, the co-founder of Gambling Harm Lived Experience Experts (GHLEE), has claimed that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government has ignored crucial evidence when making its decision.  

Bardsley contributed to the You win some, you lose more report, which was borne out of the Murphy-led inquiry. She co-founded GHLEE alongside Paul Fung in April 2022.

The report called for a phased, comprehensive ban on gambling advertising within three years which, according to reports, will now not materialise under the current administration.

Writing in The Guardian, Bardsley delivered a scything takedown of the government, accusing politicians of ignoring the report and lacking “political bravery”.

She wrote: “Yet another government inquiry’s findings have been all but ignored. Those of us who gave testimony to the federal inquiry into online gambling, chaired by the late Labour MP Peta Murphy, are now left wondering why we bothered being vulnerable.

“Many of us spent hours working on what we would say, but our evidence has seemingly been tossed aside by a federal government too scared or too lazy to take real action.” 

Bardsley added that the new proposals break the government’s promise to honour what Murphy would have wanted.  

She continued: “We honestly thought this time would be different due to the passionate driving force behind this inquiry – the inimitable Peta Murphy.  

“We believed the Albanese government when they said they would honour her legacy by enacting real gambling reform. I met Peta Murphy on several occasions, and her sincere commitment to bringing about change was deeply moving.” 

A blanket gambling ad ban has been opposed by gambling companies, sporting bodies and media organisations that are dependent on gambling advertising revenue. 

Broadcasters News Corp, Nine Entertainment and Seven West Media have claimed that a blank ban on gambling ads would lead to job cuts.

Bardsley went on to suggest that gambling is a “cancer” on Australian people as she called on the government to deliver a “united stand against a dangerous industry”.

She concluded: “It’s hard not to think of the gambling industry as a cancer on Australia.

“As someone touched by cancer, as most of us have been, I don’t use those words lightly. But it’s hard not to see the parallels with the insidious and pervasive nature of the gambling industry.  

“Like many cancers, it is also responsible for being a silent killer of too many Australians. It’s time to remove this scourge. It’s time for our governments to actually listen and enact the recommended reforms instead of ignoring them.”