Call for total ban on gambling advertising in Australia

An open letter addressed to both the current and opposition Australian governments was published on the Gambling Reform Alliance website over the weekend. The signatories call for the adoption of what is known as "Murphy's Law", named after the late Peta Murphy MP, chair of the Federal Inquiry into Online Gambling.

A report published in June 2023 proposed a total ban on gambling advertising within three years, including both broadcast and online advertising. However, recent reports suggest the Australian government is considering a watered-down version of the ban. The proposed measures include a limit of two adverts per hour before 10pm on TV and a ban on advertising an hour before and after live sporting events. At the same time, a complete ban on online gambling advertising is proposed.

In response, more than 60 influential Australian figures, including former Prime Ministers John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull, as well as former Premiers of New South Wales and Victoria Dominic Perrottet, Jeff Kennett and Steve Bracks, have signed a letter calling for support for "Murphy's Law".

The letter is also supported by representatives from sport, business, health, faith, academia, writers and community activists. The document makes serious allegations against the gambling industry in Australia, in particular, claiming that the country suffers from "gambling addiction", with gamblers losing about 25 billion Australian dollars annually.

While this figure is based on the Australian Gambling Statistics report, the data may be inaccurate as there is no indication of the source of the information. The latest figures show that gambling expenditure was $24 billion in 2020-21, and according to the Australian National University's Centre for Gambling Research, gambling participation has stabilised.

The letter also points to an increase in the "devastating" social impacts of gambling, including financial loss, health problems, domestic violence, family breakdown and suicide. There is a particular focus on "getting children used to gamble via social media", although recent research suggests that this is being done by unlicensed online casinos rather than legal operators.

The letter concludes by calling on the government and opposition to immediately implement all 31 recommendations of the Murphy report, including a phased three-year ban on all gambling advertising and a ban on the promotion of sports betting, which they say is unethical and harmful to people trying to recover from addiction.

Former Prime Minister John Howard, commenting on his signature on the letter, said gambling advertising was causing "massive" harm to Australian society and was causing anxiety for many Australians. He expressed concern about how advertising was linked to major sporting events and how this was affecting young people.