Campaign to end gambling ads targets footy finals - Marginal seat 'swarm' to pressure Albanese Govt to act to protect our kids

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has launched a ‘swarm’ campaign targeting three key ALP seats in Sydney coinciding with the football finals, in an effort to increase pressure for a full gambling ad ban.

The online, text and advertising campaign will include sending texts during the Paramatta Eels NRL game on Friday and AFL football finals involving GWS and Sydney on Saturday afternoon.

The campaign will target the seats of Paramatta, Bennelong and Gilmore and will include texts to more than 20,000 people with messages such as:  

• 1+ million gambling ads aired on TV last year. Which means our kids are exposed to this messaging daily. Enough is enough. Let’s call time on gambling ads.

• 3 in 4 kids think gambling is a normal part of sport. It’s time to show them it isn’t. Take action to end gambling ads today. Visit https://www.agr.org.au/.

The Alliance’s CEO, Martin Thomas, said: “Federally, we know that holding NSW seats is a priority for Labor. We also know the influence that sport has on these areas and the sheer saturation of gambling ads residents are being exposed to on an hourly basis.”

“We want to send a message to government and decision makers in key electorates that gambling advertising has no role in society and that it is time it stops. We believe that campaigning in these areas, to begin with, will show the government that Australians want an end to gambling ads.”

“We know that one in seven Australians want a full gambling ad ban and despite the fact there are up to 20 backbenchers pushing for a full ban, the government is still resisting.”

“We aim to raise awareness of the critical timing of this issue and mobilise communities in these strategically important seats to pressure the government to honour Peta Murphy’s legacy and implement a full advertising ban.”

The Murphy inquiry, chaired by Labor MP, Peta Murphy, and unanimously supported by inquiry members from both sides of politics,  found that the “inescapable torrent” of gambling advertising is normalising online gambling and its links with sport, grooming children and young people to gamble, and encouraging riskier behaviour.

Australians lose over $25 billion each year to gambling, the highest per capita spend in the world.

Gambling harm is a massive public health issue, linked to poor physical and mental health, poverty and homelessness, criminal activity, family violence, and suicide.

Exposure to advertising can normalise gambling participation, lead to early uptake of online gambling and increased risk of harm and can encourage impulse betting and continued and intensified wagering.

Martin Thomas is available for interview