Gambling Reform Advocates Up Pressure In Marginal Seats

Gambling damage advocates are ramping up pressure on major parties in marginal seats as documents expose a go-slow on government talks.


Paid posts comparing prospect positions on banning ads have targeted 3 crucial electorates: Gilmore in NSW, Brisbane in Queensland and Deakin in Victoria.


At least 20,000 voters in each seat have actually been reached ahead of the May 3 election, the Alliance for Gambling Reform says.


Labor has no public law but has actually formerly drifted bans on betting ads during live sports and per hour caps outside that, together with a social networks .


The union has actually proposed prohibiting gaming ads throughout sports broadcasts, consisting of an hour either side of the video games.


The Greens support a full ban in line with the recommendations from a landmark inquiry into gambling harms chaired by a late Labor MP.


The anti-gambling alliance is ramping up spending in the Greens-held seat of Brisbane, which Labor and the Liberals are trying to win, as well as in the Liberal-held north Queensland seat of Leichhardt.


The group has also targeted the Liberal-held local seat of Wannon in Victoria.


It's a relatively modest campaign, with the alliance costs simply under $4200 on Facebook advertising in the month to April 25, according to openly readily available data.


"We are conscious there are a number of MPs in the major celebrations that have actually exceeded the policies of the celebration," the alliance's chief executive Martin Thomas told AAP.


Communications Minister Michelle Rowland delayed launching gambling reforms in late 2024, saying more consultations were required.


Documents produced for the Senate program months of lobbying from betting business in the lead-up to the draft policy being shelved.


A freedom of information request suggests a go-slow in the months afterwards, with no assessment reports prepared by the department since a 50-page summary in mid-September.


Consultation summaries were prepared for cabinet in July and October 2023 and in January and September 2024, according to a schedule of policy files released to AAP.


Outside data calculations and impact analysis in November 2024, nothing else was gotten ready for the minister by her department through to February, which was the time frame of the flexibility of info request.


The government took seriously its duty to secure Australians from the harms of online gaming, Ms Rowland informed AAP.


She indicated different actions consisting of introducing a self-exclusion register and prohibiting credit cards.


There were personal issues within Labor ranks about sporting codes and industrial TVs running a negative campaign versus the government if it went too tough on sports gambling advertisements, which would impact their revenues.


Labor's inaction drew scorn from independent MPs, who accused the federal government of kowtowing to beneficial interests.


The prime minister was putting gambling profits ahead of the wellbeing of people, especially youths, crossbench senator David Pocock told AAP.