Gambling normalisation starts young, Dragon Link pokies online and sports betting advertising is a major culprit. The federal government should ban all gambling advertising, sponsorships, and inducements. Chapter 2 shows that governments have failed to take the necessary steps to prevent gambling harm, mainly because of the political risks of taking on the industry and its allies. The federal government should ban all gambling advertising and inducements. That would go a long way to reducing Australians’ excessive exposure to gambling. The National consumer protection framework for online wagering (the framework)—jointly developed by the Australian and state governments—outlines a series of minimum consumer protections online wagering providers must follow.

3 Improve gambling support services

• This top 5 per cent spend 10 times as much as the bottom 80 per cent combined.
• People who gamble, their families, and the broader community pay the price.
• Many video games include gambling-like features that familiarise children with gambling and can be a gateway to other gambling.
• Taking action together is likely to be the most effective way to take on the vested interests.

In many communities in NSW, particularly poorer communities, it’s difficult to find a venue that doesn’t have pokies (Figure 1.4). Our average annual losses per adult ($1,635) far exceed the average in similar countries such as the US ($809) and New Zealand ($584) (Figure 1.1). Governments should also improve support services to help those suffering harm now. Four Corners has uncovered allegations of conflicts of interest and pro-industry bias at the country’s part-time regulator responsible for Australia’s biggest betting companies. Laws relating to Australia’s de facto online gambling regulator should face a parliamentary inquiry, the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly has heard. There is no current holder of an interactive gambling licence in Queensland.

Governments have failed to protect Australians from gambling harm

Setting a pre-commitment limit will add only a small friction to the sign-up process, and most people’s spending already falls under our proposed maximum limits. It is unlikely that there would be a major exodus to offshore providers to avoid these minor inconveniences. And disquiet about the proliferation of online gambling harm triggered the 2023 Murphy Inquiry, which made 31 recommendations supported by multi-partisan consensus – a rare feat. The federal government has taken more than 14 months to respond to the inquiry, but leaks last month on the potential response231 sparked protracted debate in the media, parliament, and Labor’s own caucus – showing how widespread the public support for reform is.

There are two main reasons that Australian gambling regulation is so weak. The first is that state governments rely on the tax revenue from gambling. The second is that gambling is such a politically powerful industry, with many powerful allies, governments are scared to take them on. Many past attempts to strengthen consumer protections for gambling have been thwarted by vested interests, so gambling reform is now considered very politically risky.

One of the primary objectives of the CNPG Act is to prevent individuals from obtaining a personal gain from the conduct of games such as raffles. Interactive gambling (including internet-based gambling) is regulated under both Australian and Queensland law. Interactive gambling licensing is regulated in Queensland by the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR). You can also check licensed gambling providers on the Australian Communications and Media Authority website.