Australia has historically taken a lax approach to gambling, and it shows: Australia has the highest gambling losses in the world, and our losses per person have grown almost every year since reporting began in 1975.
Read our 2024 report, A better bet.
Gambling advertising exposes large numbers of Australians, including children, to dangerous products, and increases losses, with little corresponding economic or social benefit.
The federal government’s Gambling Reform Bill introduces restrictions on gambling advertising, but these restrictions don’t go far enough. The new daytime cap on gambling ads on TV still allows three advertisements every hour from 6am to 8.30pm.
A partial ban is not enough because it still allows widespread exposure to gambling advertising and will encourage advertisers to more aggressively market their products in other ways, such as through direct marketing and inducements, which are known to be high risk for people already suffering gambling harm.
Instead, a comprehensive ban on all gambling advertising on all media (broadcast and online) should be phased in, as recommended by the 2023 Murphy Inquiry.
The Bill also includes new measures to prevent access to illegal gambling services and to strengthen penalties and enforcement. While these measures are welcome, gambling harm is largely from legal gambling.
Stronger consumer protections are needed. Mandatory pre-commitment with maximum loss limits would ensure Australians no longer lose more than they can afford. No one should lose their house, or their life, on a betting app or the pokies.
The federal government should establish a national pre-commitment system for online gambling, and state governments should roll out state-wide pre-commitment schemes for pokies.