Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Clark for his question and for his ongoing advocacy. He's a long-term advocate for some of the concerns that are out there in the community when it comes to gambling, right across the board, in all of its forms. The government has done more in our two years than those opposite did in their almost decade in office. This is what we have done. We've launched BetStop, the national self-exclusion register. We have mandated customer pre-verification for all new online wagering accounts to prevent children from gambling and strengthen protections for Australians who have registered for BetStop. We've agreed with the states and territories for new minimum classifications for video games with gambling-like content. We've implemented new, evidence based taglines to replace the 'Gambling responsibly' taglines that were previously there that were ineffective. We've introduced nationally consistent staff training. We've required online wagering companies to send their customers monthly activity statements, outlining wins and losses. We've legislated a ban on the use of credit cards for gambling.

What we know, though, is that there is more to do, and the Minister for Communications and the Minister for Social Services are working diligently through all of the recommendations that were contained in the report done by the late and dear friend to all of us in this chamber, I think we can say, Peta Murphy. We're working through it in an orderly way. We're consulting all the appropriate groups, including gambling groups. I've met with a range of stakeholders, including people like Tim Costello and others, about these issues. We want to make sure there's a comprehensive approach to tackling gambling harm, not that you just shut down one thing in order to get something then just appear online from offshore, which is one of the concerns which are there. We want to make sure that we get it right. That's why we're undertaking this work in the characteristically orderly, measured and considered way that this government operates.

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