Gambling reform a 'good start', but more to be done

While the gambling industry has seen a crackdown on how they can advertise and what inducements they can offer, federal member for Parkes Jamie Chaffey said there is more work to do. Mr Chaffey said when it comes to gambling many people do know their limits and can manage themselves well, but unfortunately for many it is an addiction and they need support. "One way to support that is through legislation to try and tackle some of the harm that comes with gambling," he said. The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 passed both houses of the Australian parliament on 19 August, and is aimed at reducing wagering advertising across television, radio and online and minimising children’s exposure to gambling ads. While the bill has passed through both houses of parliament, federal member for Calare Andrew Gee has come out saying this legislation was a weak and compromised half measure against gambling. "I’m not against gambling and enjoy the odd punt, but gambling addiction destroys lives, wrecks families, and hollows out regional communities across the Central West and Australia," he said. The bill, which comes into effect on 1 January, includes a ban on wagering advertising content during live coverage of sports, a ban on gambling advertisements on the radio during school pick -up and drop- off times, and limiting advertisements on commercial television to no more than three times in an hour at certain times. Also passed alongside the Gambling Reform Bill were the National Self-Exclusion Register (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill and the Interactive Gambling (Cost Recovery Levy) Bill, which aims to ensure costs associated with the opt-out register, and new restrictions on inducements and promotion of BetStop can be recovered from gambling companies. The gambling reforms also look to help strengthen and expand the framework governing the National Self-Exclusion Register (known as BetStop), as well as prohibit online Keno and foreign matched lotteries. Other key reforms within the bill include: * banning wagering ads through online platforms, unless people have a logged in account, are over 18 and have the option to opt out of wagering advertising establishing a Wagering Advertising Opt-out Register as a one-stop shop for people to opt out across all their services; * allowing banks and payment systems to block transactions to illegal gambling operators and giving the Australian Communications and Media Authority more powers to act faster to block these websites; * banning online keno “pocket pokies” and foreign-matched lotteries; and * banning the direct marketing of inducements for 14 days after signing up with a wagering company, three months after a person deregisters from BetStop, and to all customers identified as at risk of gambling-related harm. Federal member for Calare Andrew Gee has come out saying this legislation was a weak and compromised half measure against gambling. Minister for Communications Anika Wells said the laws deliver meaningful protections for Australians experiencing gambling-related harm, including relief from the bombardment of wagering advertisements in sport and strong restrictions on predatory inducements. Mr Gee said banning gambling advertising is the right thing to do and as elected members of parliament they are there to make life better for the people they represent, and not the bidding of gambling companies. "We need to ban gambling advertising to spare our children, our fellow Australians and their families from the tragic, human cost of gambling addiction." These bills saw general bipartisan support, with the Coalition putting forward 14 amendments to the original bill which were accepted, and Labor putting forward one amendment. Mr Chaffey said this is a positive thing and shows the government is serious about trying to address this. "While it's not perfect, there has been some action." The bill had general bipartisan support in the lower house, however Coalition MPs Pat Conaghan and Andrew Wallace joined the crossbench in voting against the bill. It passed the lower house 103 votes to 14. The legislation moved to the Senate where it passed on August 19. Mr Gee has called for the government to implement all 31 recommendations of the landmark Murphy report which includes a full, complete ban on online gambling advertising. "We did it with smoking advertising, due to the harm it was causing - the same should have been done with gambling advertising to protect our kids and vulnerable Australians," he said. While he is supportive of the gambling reforms, Mr Chaffey said he doesn't want to stop gambling as the industry employs a lot of people, and he doesn't want to stop people from having a punt if they want to. However, Mr Chaffey said he would have liked the reforms to have gone a bit further. If gambling is affecting you or someone you know, support is available free and confidential help can be accessed 24 hours a day by calling the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858. This is a free and confidential helpline open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For free and confidential support visit the Gambling Help Online website at https://www.gamblinghelponline.org.au/ for online counselling including live chat, email support and self-help advice. This is available to anyone affected by gambling. BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register lets you exclude yourself from all Australian licensed online and phone wagering services in a single step. You may self-exclude for a period you choose, from a minimum of 3 months up to a lifetime. The service is free, and your personal details will be protected.