Australia, one of the world’s biggest online gambling markets, is set to ban all gambling advertising on all media platforms within three years, following a parliamentary inquiry that recommended a comprehensive crackdown on the industry.
The inquiry, chaired by Labor MP Peta Murphy, found that online gambling was causing “havoc” in the communities, especially among young people who view gambling and sport as inextricably linked. The inquiry said that online gambling companies advertise deliberately and strategically alongside sport events and programs, normalising it as a fun and harmless activity.
“Australia would be diminished if sport was to be so captured by gambling revenue that providing an opportunity for betting came to be seen as its primary purpose,” Murphy said in the report titled “You win some, you lose more”.
The inquiry made 31 recommendations on how online gambling, which it said was changing the culture of sport, should be regulated and how Australians struggling with addiction should be supported. Australians are the biggest online gamblers in the world and many face financial problems and mental health issues as a result.
The most consequential recommendation was a phased, comprehensive ban on all gambling advertising on all media, broadcast and online, that left no room for circumvention. The ban should be implemented over three years so sporting bodies and broadcasters had enough time to find alternative sources of advertising revenue.
The ban would be a major setback for online gaming companies like London-listed Flutter Entertainment, owner of the most popular betting app in Australia, Sportsbet, Entain, owner of third-ranked app Ladbrokes, and Tabcorp Holdings. These companies rely heavily on advertising to attract and retain customers in the competitive online gambling market.
The government said it would consider the recommendations, which also include a national strategy on online gambling harm reduction, an online gambling ombudsman, a harm reduction levy on online wagering service providers, a public education campaign, more independent research and improved data collection.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government needed to deal with online issues comprehensively. “We need to deal with online issues, we need to deal with social media issues, we need to deal with it comprehensively across the board,” he said on ABC Gold Coast radio.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland agreed that the “status quo isn’t good enough” on gambling advertising and said the government would consult with stakeholders before making any decisions.
The inquiry’s report comes amid growing public concern about the impact of online gambling on society and calls from various groups for more regulation and protection. The inquiry received more than 200 submissions from individuals, organisations and experts on the issue.
“Gambling advertising and simulated gambling through video games is grooming children and young people to gamble and encourages riskier behaviour. The torrent of advertising is inescapable. It is manipulating an impressionable and vulnerable audience to gamble online,” Murphy said.
Relevant articles:
Australia urged to ban online gambling ads to curb growing addiction, Reuters, June 28, 2023
Australia Inquiry Urges Online Gambling Ad Ban, Voice of America, June 28, 2023
Ads for online gambling should be banned in Australia within three years, inquiry recommends, The Guardian, June 27, 2023
Online gambling – make sure you use a legal operator, Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, no date