FULL GAMBLING AD BAN & A NATIONAL REGULATOR NEEDED

ACT Independent Senator David Pocock has called out any attempt by the Albanese Government to water down the recommendations of the Murphy Report.

Senator Pocock said anything short of a full gambling advertising ban, the establishment of a National Regulator and tackling things like inducements simply won’t cut it.

The changes floated in the media today are weaker than what was previously proposed under former Communications Minister Michelle Rowland and would comprehensively fail the Murphy test addressing only half of one of 31 recommendations.

Experts and years worth of their research and evidence demonstrates that changes limited to things reported today like minor changes to caps on ads, and extensions to blackout periods will not stop the gambling harm hurting so many Australians, including young people - and in fact may even make it worse.

Currently 75% of Australian teenagers think gambling is a normal part of enjoying sport and Australians are the biggest losers in the world per capita with $31.5 billion lost to gambling.

The regulator ACMA has found that the last round of partial bans led to a sharp increase in the amount of gambling ads. A partial ban of gambling ads in sport led to a rise in gambling ads on commercial TV and radio in non-sports shows and in sports shown after 8.30pm.

Comments attributable to ACT Independent Senator David Pocock

“Rolling out a half-baked response almost three years after the Murphy Review was released under the cover of major global conflict was a betrayal of all Australians,” Senator Pocock said.

“Releasing this under the cover of a major escalation in international uncertainty for some minor tinkering on gambling advertising needs to be called out for what it is.

“The Murphy Report said banning inducements was the most urgent reform needed to minimise harm and the reports floated today are silent on this.

“Australians haven’t suffered through years of harm at the hands of gambling companies to see some kind of half-assed response from an Albanese Government captured by vested interests.

Comments attributable to Professor Samantha Thomas, gambling researcher at Deakin University

"These so-called reforms are more about optics than impact. We all want to protect children from the tactics of the gambling industry. These reforms barely scratch the surface. The industry remains free to exploit young people through multiple media channels, innovate new promotions, and put young Australians at risk,” Professor Thomas said.

“It’s baffling that the government thinks protecting kids from gambling is simply a job for parents through a weak ‘opt out’ scheme. The industry will simply move the goalposts, finding new ways to market to young people."

"If gambling promotions are harmful in stadiums and on jerseys, why aren’t they considered harmful everywhere else? This patchwork approach makes no sense."

"We want action, yes - but not a charade. Effective reforms are needed that actually protect young people, not ones that leave the industry free to innovate around the rules. The announcement today completely fails the Murphy test."