Online gambling losses explode as PM cites excuses not to ban gambling ads - Albanese's concern for poker machine losses disingenuous

Alliance for Gambling Reform

Online betting has spiked by more than 50% in the last five years with losses now totalling $9 billion dollars, undermining Prime Minister Albanese’s comments that online gambling isn’t the problem.

The Alliance for Gambling Reform’s Chief Advocate, Tim Costello said the Prime Minister has taken a chapter right out of the gambling industry’s playbook when he argued against a full ban on gambling advertising.

Rev. Costello also said when NRL chair, Peter V’landys calls a gambling ad ban “extreme ideology” he is calling former Labor MP Peta Murphy and the Liberal and Nationals on her committee into online gambling “extreme” too.

On Radio National last week, Mr Albanese erroneously claimed not all experts supported a gambling ad ban and that advertising was not the problem but gambling. He went on to say poker machine gambling made up “70% of problem gambling’ and an “additional 15% of problem gambling was linked to lotteries”.

“This argument is complete nonsense, it is taken chapter and verse from the gambling industry and its allies. It is false, it is seeking to misdirect and it is distorting the facts,” Rev. Costello said.

“The only ‘experts’ not seeking a full gambling ad ban are the gambling industry and the big sporting codes that have sold their sport for a slice of the gambling profits. Regardless the make-up of gambling losses our kids are able to see 100% of gambling ads and be groomed to gamble.” 

Mr Albanese’s figures are wrong.

The latest very robust research reveals that just over half of the nation’s gambling problems derive from poker machines (between 52%-57%), wagering (sports and racing) accounts for more than 20% of problems. Casino gambling accounts for up to 14%, Keno up to 6% and lotteries barely 1%.

But while poker machines still cause the most harm, the growth of their losses (7.6%) are far outweighed by the 55% growth in losses on wagering. See: Australian Gambling Statistics

Rev. Costello said the Prime Minister’s belated concern for the harm caused by poker machines was disingenuous.

“Australia’s biggest gambling problem is with poker machines, particularly in his home state of NSW. We would dearly love the Federal Government to intervene in their regulation by the States and reduce gambling harm just like former Prime Minister Julia Gillard had proposed,” Rev. Costello said.

“But the Albanese Government can and should act first in its own jurisdiction and ban gambling ads and also adopt all 31 recommendations of the Murphy Report into online gambling.”

Studies show that 7 in 10 Australians believe there are too many betting advertisements, and that gambling advertising on television should be banned; and parents in particular, are concerned about their children’s vulnerability to gambling advertising.

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, is grooming children and young people to gamble, and encouraging riskier behaviour.

Australians lose over $32 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.

Tim Costello is available for interview

Martin Thomas (CEO of the Alliance) is available for interview

The Alliance is a national advocacy organisation which works to prevent and minimise the harm from gambling. Our aim is to remove the shame that surrounds gambling addiction, have the problem treated as a public health issue, and achieve the legislative changes needed to protect our communities. We bring together well over 60 organisations who share the objectives of preventing harm from gambling.

 media@agr.org.au – 07 3180 0630