Gambling Alliance is spot-on about disappointing ad ban

The Albanese Government’s apparent unwillingness to properly implement the recommendations of the Parliamentary inquiry into online gambling is, as the Alliance for Gambling Reform puts it, ‘bitterly disappointing’ in the view of St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia. 

Commenting on media reports suggesting the government will only respond half-heartedly to the Parliamentary Committee's report “You win some, you lose more”, the Society’s National President Mark Gaetani noted the Alliance had welcomed a potential crackdown on social media gambling advertising.. 

‘While the suggested crackdown on social media ads is significant and will help protect our kids, this falls well short of implementing all 31 recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee chaired by the highly regarded Labor MP, the late Peta Murphy. We fully support their call and have been saying so for some time. 

‘As the Parliamentary Committee said, Australians outspend the citizens of every other country on online gambling and this is wreaking havoc in our communities.

'The message was clear: “Australians do not like being flooded by messages and inducements to gamble online and worry about the effect this is having on children and young people”. 

‘The government still has time to do the right thing to restrict gambling ads, and we urge MPs on all sides to support all measures designed to limit the promotion of online gambling. The present response is not good enough. It presents a tin-ear to expressions of serious concern from ordinary Australians. 

A report by the Australian Institute of Family Studies shows a strong link between exposure to betting advertising and riskier gambling behaviour, along with a high-level of community support for Government-led action, including outright bans on these ads. 

‘This study showed 64% of Australians believe that governments should play the biggest role in how wagering is advertised,’ Mr Gaetani added. 

‘The Society has said previously that we support an end to the widespread advertising of online gambling, which conflates betting and sports events, exposes audiences of all ages to gambling culture, and pulls in individuals who are at risk of, or who are already, experiencing gambling harm.   

‘Our members and volunteers see many people suffering from domestic and family violence and the other harms caused by gambling losses. There are currently few safeguards to protect people with gambling disorder from online gambling harm.   

‘How refreshing it has been to watch a major sporting event such as the Olympics without the constant interruption of gambling ads. Contrast this with first-grade football matches where television audiences are swamped with inducements to bet.  

‘If this watering down of the Parliamentary Committee’s recommendations is the result of lobbying from the gambling industry, as is suggested in various quarters, it is a disgraceful reflection on the integrity of those we put in charge of our nation. They should instead heed the call to develop a comprehensive national strategy on online gambling harm reduction and have it in place within twelve months.’ 

The St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia consists of 45,000 members and volunteers who operate on the ground through over 1,000 groups located in local communities across the country.