A group of Labor MPs has expressed growing frustration over the slow pace of gambling advertising reforms, urging Communications and Sports Minister Anika Wells to take action. Documents released under freedom of information laws reveal Wells’ department has acknowledged the public’s support for an advertising ban but is concerned about the financial impact on sporting codes and media companies.
The MPs, numbering about a dozen, have been discussing gambling reform and report a “groundswell” of support for stricter measures. Some claim they have sought a meeting with Wells for months without success. “It’s fair to say frustration is growing… because they’re not having the opportunity to have those conversations,” one Labor MP said, adding that the issue will not go away.
Cross-party support for reform exists, with former opposition leader Peter Dutton backing a blackout on gambling ads an hour before and after live sports broadcasts. The Greens and independents such as Andrew Wilkie, Kate Chaney and David Pocock have also pushed for action. The government has yet to formally respond to the 2023 Murphy report, which recommended a phased ban on all online gambling advertising.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended the delay, claiming his government has implemented more gambling reforms than any previous administration, including the Betstop self-exclusion register and a ban on credit card use for gambling. A government spokesperson said the government continues to meet with harm reduction advocates, broadcasters and sporting codes to minimise gambling harms.
Labor MP Jerome Laxale described gambling reform as “unfinished business”, while shadow communications minister Melissa McIntosh accused the government of “dragging the chain” nearly 1,000 days after the Murphy report. “The harms of gambling… are broad and pervasive,” McIntosh said, questioning how much longer Australians will have to wait for action.
