Key facts
- Rod Glover, husband of the late Labor MP Peta Murphy, believes the government's gambling reform package is insufficient.
- Murphy's 2023 report recommended a total ban on gambling advertisements and inducements.
- The new reforms include restrictions on TV gambling ads, bans on jersey and stadium advertising, and a celebrity endorsement ban.
- An 'opt-out register' for gambling ads is planned but lacks detail and may take a year to implement.
- The reforms are expected to pass the Senate with support from the Coalition.
Rod Glover, the husband of the late Labor MP Peta Murphy, has expressed disappointment with the Australian government's new gambling reform package, stating it falls "well short" of the comprehensive measures his late wife advocated for. Murphy's landmark report in 2023 recommended a total ban on gambling advertisements and inducements, neither of which have been fully implemented in the current legislation.
Glover acknowledged the efforts of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister Anika Wells in passing the reforms, which are expected to gain Senate approval soon with Coalition support. He recognized that the changes, including limits on TV gambling ads, bans on player and stadium promotions, and a "triple lock" system for online ads, would reduce harm, particularly for vulnerable groups. However, he lamented the significant delay in achieving these reforms and the failure to go further.
"The package is far from everything that is needed, and it has taken too long to get here. That delay has had real human consequences," Glover stated on LinkedIn. He attributed the limitations of the reforms to the "considerable lobbying power" of the gambling, sporting, and media industries, suggesting these organizations prioritized commercial interests over social responsibility.
The reforms include a restriction of gambling advertisements to three per hour between 5 am and 8:30 pm on television, a ban on ads on player jerseys and in stadiums, and a requirement for online gambling ads to be targeted at users over 18 who are logged in and have an opt-out option. A key, yet underdeveloped, component is a proposed "opt-out register" for gambling ads, referred to by some as "AdStop." Details of this register are scarce, with government sources admitting it is not fully formed and could take up to 12 months to establish.
Debate in parliament highlighted differing views on the reforms. Labor senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah paid tribute to Murphy's "seminal work" and stated that while not all requests were met, the reforms would make a tangible difference. Conversely, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young criticized the opt-out register as "DudStop," deeming it unworkable and a misunderstanding of how the internet operates. Shadow communications minister Sarah Henderson claimed the opt-out register idea originated from the Coalition but also raised concerns about data security and the practicality of individual opt-outs across multiple platforms.