An Australian parliamentary inquiry into online gambling and its impacts has recommended the creation of a national gambling regulator alongside a blanket ban on all forms of advertising for online gambling.
The report, titled ‘You Win Some, You Lose More‘, makes 31 recommendations aimed at reducing the potential harms faced by those with gambling problems or those may be susceptible to the harms of gambling.
Those recommendations include:
- Annual levy paid by online gambling operators to fund gambling harm prevention initiatives
- Establishment of a national gambling regulator
- All forms of online gambling ads to be banned
- End to all sponsorship deals between sports teams and online gambling companies
In the report, inquiry chair, Peta Murphy MP said:
“We have recommended that a single Australian Government Minister be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive national strategy on online gambling harm reduction, supported by national regulation, an online gambling ombudsman, a harm reduction levy on online wagering service providers (WSPs), and a public education campaign.
Under national regulation, the Australian Government would be responsible for all regulation and licensing of online gambling, although the states and territories would retain the capacity to levy point of consumption taxes on online gambling. The Committee has recommended stronger consumer protections for online gambling, including a requirement for WSPs to verify their customer’s identity before accepting bets from them, a ban on inducements, and a legislated duty of care on WSPs.”
Murphy added:
“Online gambling companies advertise so much in Australia because it works. Online gambling has been deliberately and strategically marketed alongside sport, which has normalized it as a fun, harmless, and sociable activity that is part of a favorite pastime. Gambling advertising is grooming children and young people to gamble and encourages riskier behavior. The torrent of advertising is inescapable. It is manipulating an impressionable and vulnerable audience to gamble online.
“A phased, comprehensive ban on all gambling advertising on all media – broadcast and online, that leaves no room for circumvention, is needed.”
According to the recommendations, the ban on ads for online gambling would be introduced in four phases over the course of a three-year period.
Phase one would see an end to all forms of gambling inducements and promotion of such inducement. This phase would also introduce a ban on advertising on social media and online platforms alongside a radio ad ban around times that children are travelling to and from school.
Phase two would prohibit ads for online gambling and any discussion of odds during sporting events. This ban would extend to one hour before and after the events. At this point all advertising in stadiums and on playing kits would also be prohibited.
Phase three would set time restrictions for online gambling ads banning them from 6am to 10pm.
Phase four would see the ban extended to all forms of advertising and sponsorship in any scenario at any time of the day or night.
The only exemptions for the ban would be for ads that appear on channels and programming that are exclusively dedicated to gambling or horse racing.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government will consider the inquiry’s recommendations.
Speaking on local radio he said:
“The idea you’re watching a footy game and in the middle of the game, on comes an ad for gambling, I find pretty reprehensible.”
Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.