Sportsbet, the country’s largest online bookmaker, spent $64 million on television ads during live sport and racing events in the 18 months to July, and broadcasters and sporting codes fear the outright ban being called for by some MPs and reformers would kill the revenue stream.

The sports betting sector has reportedly offered to remove gambling logos from football club match-day jerseys as an alterative option, along with taking advertisements off radio airwaves at school pick-up times and enacting rules prohibiting promotions on billboards and around schools.

What was the point?

A Labor-led review in June recommended an outright ban on gambling ads be phased in over three years. Chaired by Labor MP Peta Murphy, the review found gambling companies spent big in advertising because “it works”.

“Online gambling has been deliberately and strategically marketed alongside sport, which has normalised it as a fun, harmless and sociable activity that is part of a favourite pastime,” the final report said.

“Gambling advertising is grooming children and young people to gamble and encourages riskier behaviour. The torrent of advertising is inescapable.”

Teal MP Zoe Daniel slammed Ms Rowland’s speech, questioning the point of setting up a parliamentary inquiry if the government did not intend to accept its unanimous recommendation.

“The minister talks about ‘harm minimisation’ – the evidence is the most significant harm to the young is being caused by the avalanche of advertising now encouraging young men to believe that betting with their mates is the way to maintain friendship,” Ms Daniel said.

“The minister notes ‘some sporting codes now heavily rely on online gambling’. So what? They took a punt on their futures; they shouldn’t be punting on the futures of the young.”

Donation criticism

Ms Rowland has been criticised for taking donations from Sportsbet ahead of the 2022 federal election and being wined and dined on her birthday last year by the industry’s peak body – Responsible Wagering Australia. She has also received regular hospitality from Tabcorp and Star Entertainment.

When asked about the RWA lunch on Wednesday, Ms Rowland said she followed all relevant rules.

“I intend to continue participating in fundraising activities and also meeting with a wide variety of stakeholders,” she said, noting a promise earlier this year to no longer accept donations or hospitality from gambling firms.

The lunch, and a dinner paid for by Sportsbet and attended by Anthony Albanese in February 2022, were organised by Labor’s corporate fundraising arm, the Federal Labor Business Forum. The forum sells tiered subscriptions to business that offer different levels of access to ministers.

While this essentially means the ALP is selling a certain number of one-on-one meetings each year, Ms Rowland insisted the decision to attend the Melbourne lunch was her choice, and not imposed.

She also revealed nearly 13,000 people had self-excluded from gambling products using the government’s BetStop program, more than half of whom were aged between 18 and 30, and nearly half of whom had self-excluded for life.