Bookmakers defend advertising presence in Australia
An inquiry is examining whether the law does enough to protect children from exposure to gambling ads.
Australia.- Bookmakers have responded to a parliamentary inquiry into gambling ads to defend their approach. The inquiry will look at whether the law does enough to protect children from exposure to gambling advertisements.
Writing to the inquiry, Sportsbet and Ladbrokes described their efforts to promote responsible gambling tools. Sportsbet stated it is “committed to ensuring its approach to advertising is sustainable and in line with community expectations.”
It added: “We, therefore, recognise the need to continue to develop proactive, practical solutions that will reduce exposure of minors and those suffering or at risk of harm. Consumer protection, particularly of underage consumers or the vulnerable, should always be a driving force for consideration of sustainable advertising.
“However, these important protections must be balanced against the economic and commercial legitimacy of advertising as a legally regulated product … an imbalanced regulatory framework could create significant upstream and downstream economic impact for our media partners and stakeholder bodies, which in turn adversely impacts communities and the overall economic health of sport and racing.”
The bookmaker says that just 0.45 per cent of complaints received by an advertising association in 2020 related to wagering, while just 1 per cent of over 2,000 Australians reported having spontaneously raised concerns about gambling.
Meanwhile, Entain said it supports laws that prevent gambling advertisements from being shown on TV during children’s hours and that prohibit odds from being displayed during live sports broadcasts.
The Australian Medical Association stated: “Young people are particularly susceptible to interactive gambling and the integration of sports-betting advertising in television broadcasts and the prominent display of internet signs on playing grounds have accelerated the interest and the growth of gambling problems among younger age cohorts.
“The AMA does not support any commercial relationship between the gambling industry and sporting events … links between the gambling industry and sports sponsorship do not align with public health principles.”
The first public hearing in the inquiry will be held next week.
