Victorian gambling regulator calls for ads ban
VGCCC CEO Annette Kimmitt AM is calling for a ban on wagering ads, citing concerns from parents about their children’s exposure to gambling.
Australia.- The Australian government is currently under mounting pressure to enforce a complete ban on gambling ads. Despite pressure from Labor MPs, the government has been studying the results of an inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm for six months.
The chief executive of the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC), Annette Kimmitt, said she has received complaints from parents who have discovered that their children are gambling in secret.
During an interview with The Guardian, Kimmitt called for an early resolution and an outright ban on wagering ads.
The inquiry consulted various stakeholders, including gambling companies, broadcasters, sporting codes, and tech firms, and is currently awaiting the federal government’s response to its recommendations.
Last November, communications minister Michelle Rowland suggested that implementing a complete ban on gambling ads would be complicated.
Speaking at the National Press Club, she clarified that no decision had been made on a recommendation to phase out gambling ads within three years and that such a move would be more complex to implement than the ban on tobacco ads.
Rowland said: “The reality is, over the years, the gambling industry and sport, for example, the relationship has very much changed. We know that the impact of gambling ads is felt right across the community.”
Despite this, Labor MPs have urged the federal government to enact a total ban and not water down Peta Murphy’s recommendations.
Current restrictions prevent gambling ads from being aired within five minutes of the commencement or conclusion of sporting events, with certain exceptions for long-form events after 8.30pm. However, the inquiry found unintended consequences, including an exponential increase in advertising outside of the restricted times, which it says has contributed to public perception of saturation.
