On the first day of the new financial year, the government finally brought forward its gambling legislation.
And under the cover of the winter end-of-school-term frenzy, the government told a big fat lie.
It claimed it was taking meaningful action to tackle one of the fastest-growing drivers of gambling harm in Australia: online gambling advertising.
Now, before anyone starts saying “oh, it’s a free country, people should be able to have a punt”. Let me be clear, I’m not saying you can’t. You can still smoke, but the ads are banned because tobacco kills.”
This debate is not about whether people should gamble. It’s about the way the industry operates, and in particular, the relentless, targeted advertising designed to draw people in and keep them gambling.
And honestly, it tells us a lot about who the government is listening to and who is pulling the strings.
Because when you look closely at what’s in this bill, it’s clear that once again, the vested interests have the odds stacked in their favour.
New figures from The Australia Institute show that Aussies have lost $104 billion from gambling in the last three years. That’s real money coming out of people’s bank accounts, family budgets and communities. It’s money that was meant for rent, the home mortgage, school lunches and family holidays. Some families have lost everything; addiction hasn’t just taken their money but also the lives of their loved ones.
The government wants Australians to believe it has banned online gambling ads. The reality is very different.
The government has made a point of talking about restrictions on TV. But that’s not where the real problem sits these days.
At a time when broadcast television is in decline and streaming is rapidly becoming the dominant way that Australians watch sport and entertainment, we need laws that tackle the problem as it exists today, not as it existed a decade ago. That means confronting gambling advertising on streaming platforms like Kayo, Stan and 7plus.
Online is where the industry makes its money.
It’s where ads are targeted with precision, where algorithms push betting promotions to people most at risk, and where young Australians are exposed every single day.
Here’s the scary thing: online, the gambling industry knows more about you than your family does.
They know what brands you buy, what shows you watch, who your favourite sporting teams are, and when you’re most likely to be scrolling.
Imagine if we allowed tobacco companies to know all our habits and desires so they could sell us their dangerous, deadly product?
Well, that’s what the government is allowing gambling companies to do.
The Communications Minister, in her speech to parliament when introducing the legislation, said:
“The government will also ban gambling ads online. This ban applies to any online site, including on social media, news websites, Spotify and podcasts, streaming services, YouTube, and in search. The only exception will be if you are logged in, and over 18…”
Such word salad. Let’s be clear, what this means is if you have an online account, social media or YouTube, or you’ve got a Kayo subscription, it’s a gambling advertising free-for-all.
It’s not a ban at all. To say there is a ban is a bald-faced lie.
Worse, the government’s new laws give special rules to online streaming platforms, so they can even play gambling ads during live sports. Kids watching the footy via Kayo on the family TV or streaming the game live on Dad’s phone will still be allowed to see gambling ads while they watch their favourite team.
While the Prime Minister tells us to worry about ads on the old-school terrestrial TV, the industry is flogging their dangerous product on online and streaming services.
So, the government pretends they’ve acted, while leaving the most powerful part of the system wide open.
But it’s not just Labor giving the gambling industry a free ride. Pauline Hanson also tried last week to amend a tax law so gambling companies could get their hands on public money.
The One Nation amendment would give gambling and tobacco companies access to tax credits for “research and development.”
Gambling companies make billions of dollars off vulnerable Australians and tear families apart, and Pauline Hanson is spending her time in parliament trying to give them our hard-earned taxes. Begs the question, who is Pauline Hanson is really working for?
Despite the Government’s weak gambling laws and One Nation doing the dirty work of the industry, there are people on all sides in the parliament who know the government’s policy is not good enough and that we need tougher laws.
That’s why the Senate matters. In the chaos of the final days of parliament, I worked with fellow Senators across the aisle to send the Government’s proposed laws to inquiry for scrutiny and fixing.
The Parliament has a choice.
Do we roll over to the industry that profits off misery and loss? Or do we actually stand up for the community?
Last week, the Labor Government failed that test. But there’s still a chance to get this right.
And if we’re serious about it, we have to focus on where the harm is growing fastest.
Online.
That’s where the ads are. That’s where the money is. And that’s what needs fixing if we’re going to put people ahead of gambling profits.
Sarah Hanson-Young is a Greens Senator for South Australia
