Australian PM defends partial gambling advertising ban despite growing criticism

The current Labor Party plan would ban gambling ads online, during children's programming and during sporting events, and would limit them to two per hour on public access TV channels. However, these measures fall short of the expectations of advocates of a full ban on gambling advertising, forcing Albanese to explain the government's position.

The Prime Minister said that many of those who campaign against gambling advertising actually want a complete ban on gambling itself, which he said would infringe on people’s personal freedoms. Albanese stressed the importance of adults being able to make their own decisions, while efforts should be made to protect children from the influence of gambling and to preserve the integrity of sport.

“We need to break the link between sport and gambling. Adults should remain adults and children should remain children,” Albanese said.

Despite these statements, the Prime Minister’s position has been sharply criticised by prominent campaigners such as Tim Costello, chief spokesman for the Alliance for Gambling Reform. Costello stressed that he has never advocated a complete ban on gambling, only more regulation. He accused Albanese of using the gambling industry’s arguments to justify a partial ban, calling the government’s approach disappointing.

Other campaigners have joined Costello in calling for a total ban on gambling advertising, a proposal backed by a parliamentary inquiry chaired by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy. In its report, the commission recommended a phased ban on gambling advertising over three years, citing the country's worsening problem with gambling addiction.

A recent report, Better Choices: How Australia Should Prevent Gambling Harm, highlighted the scale of the crisis, with Australians losing an average of AUD1,635 ($1,100) a year on gambling – about twice as much as countries like the US and New Zealand. The biggest losses come from slot machines and online betting, which hit low-income people particularly hard.

Amid the ongoing controversy, Costello warns that behind-the-scenes negotiations could lead to a compromise that weakens the commission's recommendations and slows efforts to tackle problem gambling in the country. The government's next steps will determine the future of gambling reform in Australia and set the tone for future policy decisions.