Key facts
- Two Coalition MPs crossed the floor to vote against amendments to Labor's gambling advertising bill.
- The bill includes restrictions on betting advertising and inducements, but not a total ban.
- An opt-out register for gambling ads will be created, with its design and operation yet to be determined.
- Inducements will be banned for at-risk customers for specific periods after signup or deregistration.
- Advertising blackout periods before live sport will be extended to 15 minutes.
Two Coalition MPs defected from their party's line to vote against amendments to Labor's new gambling advertising and inducements bill, arguing the reforms are too 'weak' and place excessive trust in gambling companies. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Communications Minister Anika Wells secured opposition support for the bill, which is set to pass on Thursday, 1,149 days after a landmark report by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy recommended a total ban on inducements and wagering advertisements.
The final version of the bill, with agreed amendments, falls short of these recommendations. Instead, it mandates the communications regulator to establish an 'opt-out register' for gambling ads, though its specifics and operational readiness by the January 2027 commencement date remain unclear. Gambling industry sources have raised concerns about the register's functionality and privacy implications.
Minister Wells stated that inducements will be banned for customers identified as at risk of gambling harm for 14 days after signing up with a wagering service and for three months after deregistering from Betstop. Amendments also prohibit commissions on customer losses for gambling staff or affiliates, which Wells described as addressing the 'most toxic version of inducements'.
Further changes include extending the advertising blackout period before live sports from five to 15 minutes, starting the three-per-hour TV ad restriction at 5 am instead of 6 am, and imposing restrictions on advertising during children's programming. Previously announced reforms such as banning gambling ads on player jerseys and in stadiums, prohibiting celebrity endorsements, and a 'triple lock' system for online ads are also included.
Liberal backbencher Andrew Wallace and colleague Pat Conaghan voted against some amendments, with Wallace advocating for an opt-in approach for inducements and extended advertising blackout periods. Conaghan, who was deputy chair of the Murphy-led review, expressed that the current measures were 'weak'. Liberal senators Andrew McLachlan and Paul Scarr are reportedly considering crossing the floor in the upper house. Independent MPs Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender criticized the lack of consultation time for amendments, while Senator David Pocock and the Greens also deemed the reforms insufficient. Kate Seselja, co-chair of the Gambling Harm Lived Experience Experts, stated that a complete ban on gambling ads is the only effective solution and called the opt-out register proposal 'unworkable'.