Gambling advertising is set to remain on our television screens for many more years, with the Labor government reportedly siding in favour of advertising caps instead of the proposed ban.
Five anonymous sources who had been briefed on the reforms revealed details of the plans to The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH). The government is proposing a cap of two gambling ads per hour on each channel up until 10 p.m. It is also proposing a ban on ads of this nature before and after live sports coverage.
The news isn’t all grim for those opposing gambling advertising; Labor is reportedly set to support a ban on betting ads on social media and other digital platforms.
“It’s a position that’ll piss everyone off because the purists won’t get a ban and will still see ads on TV, but the sports and media companies will lose a big chunk of money,” one source told the SMH, flagging the possibility of compensation for media and sports bodies.
The latest reports have been slammed by the Alliance For Gambling Reform, which has claimed that the evidence shows putting limits on the number and timing of gambling adverts was doomed to fail.
“We hope these reports are not true. The government still has time to do the right thing to ban all gambling ads. Certainly, a proposed ban on social media gambling advertising is a step in the right direction,” said the chief executive of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Martin Thomas. “Perversely, this move to put limited restrictions on gambling advertising could actually make the situation worse. We know this is a real risk after similar rule changes in 2017 saw the total volume of gambling advertising in primetime spots on metro television increased by 40 per cent”.
The potential caps come more than a year after a parliamentary inquiry, chaired by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy, recommended a ban on all gambling ads within three years. Since Murphy’s death in December last year, a number of MPs have pushed for the suggestions of what is now colloquially referred to as “Murphy’s Law” to be upheld.
Gambling firms, several sporting codes, and media companies have largely opposed the ban, with business models heavily reliant on betting ad revenue.
Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter V’landys and AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon are reportedly lobbying behind the scenes against the ban over fears that grassroots sports will suffer due to the cut in revenue.
V’landys, who was previously slammed for referring to wagering as “entertainment,” has openly spoken out about the benefits the NRL earns from gambling revenue. “There are 330 million people in America, and if we get one per cent of their betting market, it’s an enormous revenue stream for the game,” he said ahead of the 2024 season opener live in Las Vegas.
News businesses, including News Corp, Nine Entertainment and Seven West Media, have reportedly warned that a ban could threaten jobs and the ability to make and provide content.
Nine CEO Mike Sneesby said earlier this year that a complete ban on gambling advertising would not make sense, “particularly with the world of television not being the only place that you can advertise for gambling”.
“The fact that it has taken longer, I think, demonstrates it’s not a simple issue. It’s a combination of a social issue on the side of problem gambling, but it’s also a social issue on the side of the interests of sport and the importance of having strong and commercially viable sporting codes”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has openly accepted that a reduction in these kinds of ads is required but has never openly committed to a full ban. “I myself have met with people like Tim Costello about these issues, and we’re working through them to make sure that any action doesn’t have unintended consequences because that’s what good governments do,” he said.
Gambling ads during live sports are currently banned five minutes before and after play, between 5 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. After 8:30 p.m., these ads can appear before and after play and during breaks in play.
According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, more than a million gambling ads appeared on free-to-air television, radio, and online from April 2022 to April 2023, costing a reported $238 million.
Studies suggest 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. It is estimated that Australians lose over $25 billion each year to gambling, the highest per capita spend in the world.
An official announcement of the government’s plans on this matter is expected within weeks.
