Australian Greens introduce bill to ban gambling ads across all platforms
The proposed bill aims to ban gambling ads on TV, radio, print and online.
Australia.- The Australian Greens party has submitted a bill to the senate calling for a ban on all gambling ads in the country. The bill would ban gambling ads on TV, radio, print and online.
According to a statement from the Greens, the move was prompted by “continued delays by the government” on introducing the total ban as recommended in a report by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs led by Labor MP Peta Murphy.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens Spokesperson for Communications, said: “Time is up and the public is sick of the excuses and the delays. The Government clearly doesn’t have the guts to stand up to the bookies and ban gambling ads so, today, the Greens will.
“Problem gambling ruins lives and Australians lose more per capita to gambling than anywhere else in the world. The evidence from experts and the overwhelming majority of Australians (7/10) is clear: gambling ads cause significant harm and they must be banned, just like tobacco ads. The Prime Minister said recently that banning gambling ads was the ‘easy option’ to reduce gambling harm. We agree and we call on Labor and Liberal to back our bill.
“These ads are crucial to the bookies’ business model as they fuel the human misery of problem gambling. People are sick of having gambling ads rammed down their throats during family time when we are watching the footy. Labor and Liberal will have to stop hedging their bets when my bill comes for a vote in the Senate.”
Communications minister Michelle Rowland has said the Labor Party would announce a plan before the end of the year but didn’t give details. The current parliamentary calendar only provides for 11 sitting days in the Senate until the end of 2024.
In September, Sky News political editor Andrew Clennell claimed the government of prime minister Anthony Albanese was reportedly planning to implement a ban on digital gambling ads and a prohibition on TV ads for one hour before and after sports broadcasts.
