The House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs will hold public hearings tomorrow, Tuesday, 4 April and Wednesday, 5 April 2023 as part of its inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm.
Chair of the Committee, Ms Peta Murphy MP, said on Tuesday, the Committee will question Sportsbet, Tabcorp and Entain (operator of brands Ladbrokes and Neds), and the peak industry body Responsible Wagering Australia, about whether industry is doing enough to limit the harm of online gambling in the Australian community.
Australians support greater restrictions on gambling advertising
‘Research released last week by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) shows that Australians support greater restrictions on gambling advertising, and that gambling advertising encourages people to gamble and to do so in more risky ways.
Ms Murphy said that the AFL and NRL are major beneficiaries of sports betting, including through sponsorship and advertising, and receiving a proportion of each bet placed on their games. ‘The Committee is interested in hearing how this aligns with the promotion of their codes as family-friendly and socially responsible organisations.’
Also appearing on 4 April are the Australian Banking Association, the Australian Lottery and Newsagents Association, The Lottery Corporation, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
On Wednesday, 5 March, the Committee will hear from the AIFS about their new research findings.
Programs for the Committee’s upcoming hearings are available on the inquiry website here.
The hearings will be live streamed on the APH website: www.aph.gov.au/live.
Public hearing details
Tuesday, 4 April, from 8.30am to 4pm AEST at the Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra and via videoconference, and, Wednesday, 5 April, from 2pm to 2.50pm AEST – via videoconference
Further information about the inquiry, including published submissions, hearing dates and transcripts, are available on the inquiry webpage.