Upper House Pushing Labor On 'secret' Gambling Ads Plan

The federal government will be required to release a draft response to a landmark gaming reform report, which has been left unblemished for more than 2 years.


Communications Minister Anika Wells, who picked up the portfolio after Labor's May 3 election win, has actually flagged upcoming changes to betting marketing.


Her first conference beyond department instructions was with Rod Glover, the hubby of late Labor MP Peta Murphy, who promoted a restriction on betting ads.


A draft response by the communications department to the "you win some, you lose more" report handed down by a bipartisan parliamentary committee was prepared for the previous minister in November 2024.


But the department refused to launch the 32-page file under liberty of info laws.


The Murphy report's essential suggestion was to phase out betting advertising on television and online, which received consentaneous assistance from Labor, union and crossbench MPs on the committee.


Labor's draft policy, which was never officially released but briefed to stakeholders in mid-2024, consisted of prohibiting betting ads during, before and after live sports broadcasts and restricting them to two an hour outside of that specification.


Independent senator David Pocock is pressing to have the draft recommendations and ministerial rundowns released under a Senate order for the production of files, after freedom of info requests were similarly declined.


The Liberals and the Greens have actually provided their support, implying his order is set to pass the Senate on Wednesday, giving Labor until the end of the month to comply or describe why they will continue to keep the documents secret.


A third order demands correspondence between the prime minister and betting sector agents and lobbying efforts from sporting codes after he intervened to shelve any action before the election.


Labor's inaction was "among the greatest failures of the last parliament and a wrong I hope we can right this time", Senator Pocock informed AAP.


Reform supporters are eager to find a happy medium, arguing the longer the status quo goes on, the more people are being hurt as there are couple of restrictions on gambling advertising.


While stakeholders are pushing for a blanket ban, there is an openness to compromise on restricting when betting advertisements can be transmitted on live TV.


They're also pushing tough for a complete advertising ban on social networks and on temptations, which is when betting companies lure individuals to wager more by offering incentives such as bonus bets.


But the betting lobby is highly against a blanket social networks ban, rather saying innovation could be used to prevent targeting children.


The sector is similarly opposed to stopping incentives.


There is a willingness to go over stopping broad inducement advertising, but gambling companies wish to keep the right to press advertising to individuals signed up to their platforms.


The Murphy review suggested that the government immediately prohibit online betting incentives and their marketing.


Commercial broadcasters and sports codes argued they needed advertising revenue to remain viable, while gambling business alerted a blanket ban would push Australians into utilizing prohibited abroad betting websites.


The AFL and NRL receive tens of a year as a cut from gambling companies.


Some supporters are confident there will be a statement on the next steps before completion of the year, with the federal government yet to react to the landmark report 25 months after it was handed down.