Thomas Emerson launches bid to ban gambling industry political donations in ACT

A move to ban the gambling industry from making political donations has been launched in the ACT, as calls grow for stronger safeguards against the sector’s influence. 

Independent Member for Kurrajong Thomas Emerson has introduced a Private Member’s Bill to the ACT Legislative Assembly, arguing financial ties to the industry risk undermining gambling reform. 

“Australians are the biggest gambling losers in the world,” said Mr Emerson. 

“Our community overwhelmingly wants to see meaningful gambling reform. But financial ties to the gambling industry have kept the major parties from taking bold action to tackle the immense harm caused by this industry.” 

Mr Emerson said analysis by his office showed ACT Labor and the Canberra Liberals had collectively received more than $275,000 worth of donations from the gambling industry in the past decade. 

“It’s a serious problem when politicians are captured by vested interests,” he said. 

“The Legislative Assembly acknowledged this when it banned donations from property developers and foreign entities five years ago.  

“It’s time to do the same with the gambling industry.” 

His bill would amend the Electoral Act 1992 to prohibit political donations from entities and individuals connected to the gambling industry. 

That includes casinos, licensed bookmakers, racing organisations, manufacturers of gambling products or equipment, and venues with poker machines. 

“Gambling companies benefit from lax regulations, so they have a special interest in influencing government decision-making – more so than other donors,” said Bill Browne, Director of the Australia Institute’s Democracy & Accountability Program. 

“NSW has banned the gambling industry from making political donations, and it would make sense for the ACT to do the same.” 

The proposal comes amid an ongoing ACT Government push to reduce gambling harm, with future reforms expected during the current Assembly term. 

Minister for Gaming Reform Dr Marisa Paterson said one in six people in the ACT are impacted by gambling harm when she launched a Guide for Talking About Gambling and Related Harms last year. 

“This means most of us will know someone in our community who is experiencing gambling harm,” said Minister Paterson at the time. 

However, Mr Emerson noted that ACT Labor established its funding vehicle, the 1973 Foundation, in the early 2010s with almost $6.5 million from the Canberra Labor Club, which operates hundreds of poker machines. 

“There’s clear evidence that the gambling industry increases its political donations when gambling reform is on the agenda,” said Mr Emerson. 

“The Minister for Gaming Reform has promised significant gambling harm reduction measures in this term of government.  

“Canberrans are rightly worried that political donations will influence the Assembly’s posture toward forthcoming reforms in this area.” 

Canberra Gambling Reform Alliance co-chair Kate Seselja said it should be a straightforward decision for the Assembly. 

“It has been tough to get people elected to operate in the best interests of the whole community to act that way,” she said. 

“What I have witnessed both locally and federally is that political donations make decisions that should be easy to make, complex or biased.  

“When we remove the layer of political donations from the equation, especially from predatory industries, we are closer to seeing our elected representatives able to operate free from capture.” 

The Public Health Association of Australia has urged the Assembly to pass the measure “as quickly as possible”. 

“With gambling losses devastating families and communities across Australia, it is essential that political donations from the sector be prohibited, to allow all jurisdictions to make policy in the public interest, not in corporate interests,” it said in a statement. 

Private members’ bills rarely succeed in the federal parliament, with analysis by the Australian Democracy Network showing that just 30 non-government bills became law in the 116 years between Federation and 2017. 

In contrast, the ACT has had 205 private members’ bills become law since self-government commenced in 1989. 

“We’ve already seen the Albanese Government cave to pressure from the gambling industry by announcing watered-down reforms that directly contradict advice from harm reduction experts,” said Mr Emerson. 

“We can’t let this happen in the ACT.” 

The Albanese government was heavily criticised in May for delivering a “timid” response to the landmark Murphy inquiry into online gambling harms. 

Its long-awaited position was tabled in parliament during the federal budget lock-up, with Independent Senator David Pocock describing the move as “cowardly and disrespectful”. 

Polling by the Australia Institute in May suggested the public favoured a tougher approach, with three in four Australians (77 per cent) saying they would support a ban on gambling advertisements. 

There is also evidence of public support for restricting political donations from industries perceived to have a vested interest in government decision-making. 

When asked in 2024, more than half of all Tasmanians (57 per cent) supported banning political donations from the gambling, salmon farming and property development industries, according to Australia Institute polling. 

“Australia Institute research has long identified that some corporations have a special interest in government decision-making when they belong to highly regulated sectors, and that these industries should therefore be restricted in the political contributions that they can make,” said Mr Browne. 

The Australia Institute has identified nine principles for political finance reform to reduce the influence of industry groups. 

They include providing a level playing field regardless of whether candidates are members of a political party or independents, focusing on those who most clearly threaten democracy and accountability and distinguishing between bona fide contributions and “cash for access”.