Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pushed back against suggestions his government hasn’t made strides in gambling policy since the Murphy report was published in 2023.
The report, which was authored by late Labor MP Peta Murphy, included 31 points to improve gambling-related harms outcomes in Australia, including a total ban on advertising.
The Australian government has yet to officially respond to the recommendations laid out in the report, or action Murphy’s points around marketing restrictions.
Reports over the last 12 months Down Under have suggested Labor would not fully restrict ads.
When asked by Independent MP Kate Chaney in parliament today, 28 August, why the government had yet to respond to the report, and if it was due to lobbying from the industry and sporting codes, Albanese was bullish in his reply.
The prime minister said: “I say it is not correct to say we haven’t responded. We have done more as a government than any government in Australia’s history since federation. As simple as that.
“BetStop – the self-exclusion register – has been in operation for two years, making an enormous difference. At the end of July, it has recorded 46,369 total registrations, including 30,750 active exclusions [and] 39% of current registrants have chosen a lifetime ban.
“The problem that we see with gambling isn’t someone having a punt on a Saturday at the pub, it is ongoing addiction to gambling which can be incredibly harmful.”
Albanese went on to lay out the steps made by his government to reduce gambling-related harm in Australia, as he insisted consumer protection and ensuring operators act responsibly was paramount.
He added: “We have banned the use of credit cards for online wagering. We have implemented monthly win/loss statements. We are strengthening classification of video games that contain gambling-like content.
“We will continue to work on these areas. As we have said, we want to break the connection between wagering and sport. A lot of that has been done voluntarily as well by the sporting organisations. Gambling is legal in Australia, we respect peoples’ right to have a punt, but we also have a responsibility to make sure the industry acts responsibly and that’s what we’re doing.”
Speaking to ABC News earlier this week, Albanese pointed the finger at offshore, unlicensed operators as key drivers of harm for Australians.
Online casino remains illegal in Australia, with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) having blocked 1,296 illegal gambling and affiliate sites since 2019.
Albanese said: “What’s in our mind is practicalities of whether people just go offshore, then there’s no revenue at all. They engage in gambling with no revenue coming back at all. And it doesn’t solve the problem.
“These things are complex with technology today, and we have been examining a range of areas. We have made changes, such as not being able to use your credit card online.”
The post Australian PM: We are working more on gambling policy than any government ever first appeared on EGR Intel.
Anthony Albanese hits back at notion Labor has been slow to respond to the Murphy report, despite its publication two years ago and a lack of definitive advertising policy being set since
The post Australian PM: We are working more on gambling policy than any government ever first appeared on EGR Intel.