Amid reports that the Labor government will not uphold a proposed gambling ban, Tabcorp has revealed that it would support the block – throwing its competitors under the bus in the process.
While the betting agency declined to comment at this time, it did point to its submission to the review. In this submission, the company called for a reduction in the record level of gambling advertising, saying that it should be limited to places where people go to gamble, ” including pubs, clubs, or racetracks or on exclusive platforms dedicated to gambling events such as Sky Racing TV and radio”.
“Foreign bookies have been targeting customers of pubs, clubs, and the local Australian state-based licensee with aggressive advertising and inducements, especially when retail venues were forced to close during the pandemic,” Tabcorp said.
The wagering brand also slammed its competitor, SportsBet, for being one of the country’s largest contributor to the gambling industry. “In the first half of 2022, they spent almost double what other operators spent on advertising,” Tabcorp told the parliamentary inquiry.
Five anonymous sources who had been briefed on the reforms revealed details of the government’s plans to The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) yesterday. They revealed that the government is proposing a cap of two gambling ads per hour on each channel up until 10 p.m. and a ban on ads of this nature an hour before and after live sports coverage. Labor is reportedly also set to support a ban on betting ads on social media and other digital platforms.
“It’s a position that’ll piss everyone off because the purists won’t get a ban and will still see ads on TV, but the sports and media companies will lose a big chunk of money,” one source told the SMH, flagging the possibility of compensation for media and sports bodies.
The latest reports have been slammed by the Alliance For Gambling Reform, which has claimed that the evidence shows putting limits on the number and timing of gambling adverts was doomed to fail.
“We hope these reports are not true. The government still has time to do the right thing to ban all gambling ads. Certainly, a proposed ban on social media gambling advertising is a step in the right direction,” said the chief executive of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Martin Thomas. “Perversely, this move to put limited restrictions on gambling advertising could actually make the situation worse. We know this is a real risk after similar rule changes in 2017 saw the total volume of gambling advertising in primetime spots on metro television increased by 40 per cent”.
Gambling ads during live sports are currently banned five minutes before and after play, between 5 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. After 8:30 p.m., these ads can appear before and after play and during breaks in play.
According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, more than a million gambling ads appeared on free-to-air television, radio, and online from April 2022 to April 2023, costing a reported $238 million.
A number of gambling firms, several sporting codes, and media companies have largely opposed the ban, with business models heavily reliant on betting ad revenue.
An official announcement of the government’s plans on this matter is expected within weeks.