In late September of last year, just days before the Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final, the Australian government announced that it was launching an inquiry into the state of gambling advertising, to ascertain whether or not further restrictions were needed.
As the inquiry draws to a close in the coming days and weeks, lawmakers from all parties have begun to indicate that tighter regulations—including the possibility of an all-out ban—might be on the horizon.
Both Peta Murphy MP, the leader of the inquiry, and opposition leader Peter Dutton have advocated for widespread change, in addition to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, according to the Guardian.
In response, industry organizations have said that the reduction in ad revenue would affect jobs and companies, but the argument appears to be losing steam. A recent survey found that betting ads were the most common concern among AFL fans, with the majority of the 3,000 respondents saying that they’d support a full ban.
“Like tobacco advertising, which is now banned, a prohibition on gambling advertising should be the goal,” Tim Costello, a well known anti-gambling activist, told the Guardian. “Just as it is unacceptable for children to know the brands Peter Stuyvesant and Marlboro cigarettes, why should they know Sportsbet or Bet365? It is a terrible policy failure and Australia has per capita 20 percent higher online losses than others because of the tsunami of sports betting advertising.”
Gambling researcher Charles Livingstone, who participated in the inquiry, suggested that the ads be phased out over time, along with other measures to ease operators’ financial pressures. He also suggested that another quickly deployed tactic could be to “require anyone who gambles to set a limit.”
Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation CEO Shane Lucas told the Guardian that the feedback from citizens around the country indicates that “the community clearly wants the commonwealth government to do more to protect children and young adults especially from constant exposure to gambling promotions.”
Some operators, such as Tabcorp, have attempted to get ahead of possible reforms by placing self-imposed restrictions on their ads.
