The government of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is under fire after reportedly backing away from plans to implement a complete prohibition on all forms of online gambling advertisement.

The Guardian reports the Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs led by late Labor MP Peta Murphy made 31 recommendations in June of last year that encompassed ‘a comprehensive ban on all forms of advertising for online gambling’. 

The bipartisan group also called for this embargo to be introduced in four phases over three years with the intent of reducing ‘widespread and serious harm to individuals, families, and communities’.

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Suggested Shift

The first phase of this plan was to involve a total ban on all forms of online gambling inducements and incentive advertising, along with an end to the marketing of online gambling via social media and online channels. 

This was to be followed by a prohibition on the broadcast of iGaming advertisements and odds commentary for an hour either side of a sports broadcast as well as an embargo on associated logos appearing on team uniforms.

The third recommended stage from the Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs was to have seen a comprehensive ban on the advertising of online gambling brought in between the hours of 6am and 10pm. 

The body then endorsed a scheme to introduce a complete ‘prohibition on all online gambling advertising and sponsorship’ by the end of 2027.

Cautious Counter

The Albanese government initially asserted it would seriously consider all of these recommendations, but it later began holding a series of secret consultations with executives from major sporting codes, gambling companies, and media networks. 

These controversial meetings conducted through the office of Communications Minister Michelle Rowland have now resulted in a set of proposals many consider formulated to favor the online gambling industry and its media partners.

These are to see the suggested total prohibition on online gambling advertisements for television and radio scrapped to be replaced by a policy limiting such marketing to two spots an hour until 10 p.m. Nevertheless, the Albanese administration plans to keep the analogous ban concerning social media and other digital platforms alongside the embargo on iGaming ads and odds commentary being broadcast an hour either side of a sports broadcast.

Distinct Denunciation

Although these new proposals have yet to go to cabinet, an independent senator representing the Australian Capital Territory, David Pocock, condemned the Albanese administration for not enacting all of the measures proposed by the Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs. The former professional rugby union player moreover described the government’s planned alterations as ‘a total copout and betrayal of the late Peta Murphy’s legacy’.

“There is support in the parliament to implement the Murphy Review recommendations in full and not some watered-down policy to appease the gambling industry.”

Allied Admonition

Joining this club of critics, crossbench MP Zoe Daniel described the government’s proposals as ‘halfhearted, half-arsed, and a betrayal of Peta Murphy’s legacy.' The representative for the suburban Melbourne constituency of Goldstein additionally claimed Australians do not like gambling advertisements before urging the Albanese administration to ‘listen to what the people want’ and not to ‘the gambling giants’.

“How many more young and impressionable sports fans are going to have their lives ruined before the government gets the message,” Daniel said. 

For her part, independent Western Australia MP Kate Chaney claimed Albanese’s government was ‘kowtowing to the power of the media companies, sports codes, and gambling companies who are all profiting from people’s misery’ while Daniel boldly accused the administration of ‘giving the gambling giants pretty much what they want’.

Reformist Response

For its part, the Albanese government responded to this criticism by declaring it does not comment on legislation that has yet to go before cabinet. A spokesperson for Rowland proclaimed the administration was ‘firmly committed to minimizing harms from online wagering’ and had already brought in a number of reforms, including a national self-exclusion register, a ban on the use of credit cards for online gambling, minimum classifications for computer games with gambling-like content and a new program of evidence-based messaging.

“The government continues to engage with stakeholders regarding the recommendations from the online wagering inquiry as we formulate our response,” the spokesperson said.