Peter Dutton pressures Labor for support on gambling advertising ban

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called for the support of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday to enforce stricter gambling advertisement’s regulations.

Dutton requested a ban on gambling ads an hour prior and after the conclusion of sports matches. He claimed that the constant barrage of gambling advertisements was adversely altering the culture of the country and “normalising gambling at a young age.”

In his speech Dutton asked for the aid of the prime minister in implementing the new gambling ad initiative.

Responsible Wagering Australia which represents gaming compxanies like bet365 and Betfair however countered Dutton’s call to ban betting advertisements. They claimed the gaming sector were already taking action and that Dutton embarked on the move without consultation.

Free TV executive Bridget Fair claimed that they were concerned that Dutton’s gambling ad ban was not “evidence based” and could affect local broadcasters. She also said that her group had contributed significantly to the parliamentary inquiry.

Fair pointed out that gambling ads were already riddled with restrictions and there was little evidence that underaged individuals were exposed to it.

“There is no evidence that large numbers of children are watching sport late at night or in the hour before sporting events, in fact quite the contrary,” she continued.

“We would have expected a more considered response to the complex issues being reviewed by the Committee.”

In an interview after the speech, Dutton doubled down on his previous remarks, stating that allowing children to be exposed to gambling was like permitting exposure to cigarettes.

“Culturally, we’ve got ourselves into a position where kids have been exposed to gambling in the same way young kids are quickly hooked on cigarettes … and I don’t like it,” he said.

“The prime minister will be worried about the reaction from advertisers and from the sports and from the gambling companies, but it’s time for the government to show leadership and we’d be happy for them to take up this policy.”

Per the current rules, broadcasters were not to air betting ads five minutes ahead of a sports match until after 8:30pm. Gambling firms were however authorized to keep their representatives at spruik odds in matches.

Independent MPs Andrew Wilkie, Allegra Spender and Zoe Daniel supported Dutton’s call for a gambling ad ban. Daniel, known for her anti gambling stance, also disclosed that she hoped to discuss the policy with Dutton.

“I am pleased that at long last the leader of one of our major parties sees gambling advertising for what it is; a scourge normalising betting as integral to sport, grooming young minds,” she said.

When asked about the measure, Albanese did not rule out offering his support, rather he mentioned the ongoing parliamentary inquiry into gambling.

The prime minister noted over the past months, Labor had stopped punters from using credit cards to gamble. They had also replaced the “gamble responsibility” phrase placed in gambling commercials.

“Pity that Peter Dutton was never in a position to do anything over the last decade. It really is,” he added.

An ongoing parliamentary inquiry into online gambling harms is probing potential changes to the gambling advertising regulations.

Several changes have already been made to the country’s gambling regulations. These include anning credit card usage during online wagering, introducing new mandatory messages on ads to minimize harm and stopping video games from having gambling like activity.

Communications minister, Michelle Rowland refered to gambling harms and a “whole of government concern” and revealed that the government would wait for the report from the inquiry.

“We acknowledge there is ongoing community concerns about the harms associated with online gambling, including advertising material,” Rowland said.

“The committee is considering the effectiveness of current advertising restrictions on limiting children’s exposure to gambling products and services, including through social media, among a range of other issues.”

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