A coalition of high-level Australians is calling for a complete ban on gambling advertising of all kinds in the country within the next three years. The group, which operates under the moniker the Alliance for Gambling Reform, stated its case in a letter sent to government officials and news media outlets this weekend.
The Alliance for Gambling Reform includes several former Prime Ministers, athletes, and high-ranking officials among its members including John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull. Group members are concerned about Australia’s high rates of problem gambling, gambling losses, and the general ubiquity of gambling in Aussie life. They say that the $25 billion spent on gambling advertising in the country is one of the main drivers of their concerns. “Gambling advertising in Australia is out of control with one million gambling ads being aired on free-to-air television and radio in just one year,” they said.
One solution they’ve identified towards mitigating problem gambling is stop merely limiting gambling advertising to certain times of day and introducing a nationwide blanket ban on them. “We the urge the government and opposition to publicly commit to the swift adoption and implementation of all 31 recommendations of the Murphy Report parliamentary inquiry into online gambling.
“This includes a three-year, phased-in ban on all gambling advertising and the banning of inducements and promotions especially around sports betting which are unethically used to ensnare people who want to stop gambling,” the group stated.
In the past, the Australian government has been very open to throttling gambling advertising and a total ban is not completely unthinkable. Now it’s up to sitting Aussie lawmakers to take the torch, which they may well do.