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

Thanks, Mr Speaker. I'm going through the actions that we are taking. Gambling advertising is about getting people to gamble. That's what it's about, and I'm going through the measures that we have put in place already. We have legislated a ban on the use of credit cards for gambling, which is a major issue and a source of grief out there in the community. That certainly was something that was considered by the committee when it was developing its report. We've also required online wagering companies to send their customers monthly activity statements outlining wins and losses.

The government is continuing to examine further issues and what more can be done, including further restrictions on gambling advertising, but it's not much good if you're shutting down an ad in one place only for it to pop up somewhere else. The truth is that these issues are complex because people in 2024 don't just have televisions or radios; they carry with them devices where ads can pop up and appear and where people can get access not just from Australia but from overseas as well without any controls whatsoever because of the nature of the accounts, the nature of those devices and the nature of the way that the internet operates with VPNs. So we want to make sure that any measures that are taken actually can deliver on the outcome that we want. We want people to not engage in gambling in a way that damages families and causes harm and addiction, because we know that that can have a devastating impact on the community. But we do want to make sure that any measures are got right, and that's why I would encourage the member to continue to work with the government on these issues to make sure that indeed we do get it right.

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