Zoe Daniel (Goldstein, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the consequences of harm from gambling are poorer health and wellbeing for individuals who gamble, their family members, friends and community;

(b) family and relationship problems, emotional and psychological issues, including distress, depression, suicide and violence and financial harms are all costs of gambling;

(c) the potential for harm has increased with the proliferation of online gambling, and the proliferation of sports bettors gambling online which significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic; and

(d) a three-year study by La Trobe University with 50 thousand respondents revealed that more than three quarters felt they should be able to watch sport on television free from gambling ads and that young people are exposed to too much gambling advertising; and

(2) acknowledges that:

(a) expenditure on gambling advertising in Australia has increased by 320 per cent in the past 11 years;

(b) exposure to gambling advertising normalises betting and increases the risk of harm;

(c) current restrictions have failed to reduce children and young people's exposure to gambling, especially sports betting; and

(d) the prolific promotion of sports betting does not align with community values.

Four decades ago, tobacco advertising was banished from television by the Fraser government after courageous resistance to lobbying from vested interests. Since then, gambling advertising has filled the void, despite reams of evidence about the harm it causes. Recent survey results from the Australian Institute of Family Studies and the Australian Gambling Research Centre show that exposure to advertising is leading to riskier betting behaviour. One in five people started betting for the first time after seeing or hearing an ad. Three-quarters of those surveyed had gambled at least once in the last year. It's a slippery slope. In a recent study on the impact of advertising, an 11-year-old boy said: 'People want to watch the game and not see the ads. They don't need to be encouraged to have a bet.' A 14-year-old girl said: 'I'm a bit disappointed and sad that gambling is such a big part of sport now. It doesn't have to be about money.' In one study, most young people—79.3 per cent—said there should be no advertisements or fewer advertisements.

The ads used role models, such as former football or basketball stars, to validate the ads to young people. They make gambling look fun, aspirational, fashionable and almost more important than the sport being played. One 13-year-old said: 'Advertising makes it appear that it's really popular.' The reality, of course, is quite different. As the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation's February 2023 discussion paper outlines, the consequences of harm from gambling are poorer health and wellbeing for individuals who gamble and those around them. The paper goes on to say that the social cost of gambling in Victoria alone has been estimated at $7 billion a year, with financial harm being the third-highest cost after family and relationship problems and psychological issues.

Only 30 per cent of those affected by the harm are defined as 'problem gamblers', and studies show that policy interventions restricting the timing and context of gambling advertising are not working. The total gambling ad spend in Australia has risen by 320 per cent since 2011. In Victoria, the gambling ad spend is about three times that spent on alcohol. An average of 148 ads are shown in family prime-time between six and 8.30 pm, and gambling ads are overflowing into non-sport programs, including those that appeal to children. This is all about normalising gambling, not as an add-on to sport but integral to it.

The government says, 'Wait and see what the committee inquiry currently underway comes up with,' but the minister has not committed to implementing whatever recommendations the Labor led panel comes up with.

The opposition says to ban advertising for an hour each side of games. The evidence is that this won't work. The Australian Communications and Media Authority has found that after the last attempt to restrict gambling ads during live sport, back in 2018, the total volume of gambling spots increased by no less than 50 per cent. The ads simply migrated to general programming, much of it watched by children and teenagers.

We cannot wait a moment longer before calling time on this. We are reaching a point where our kids know more about multis than they do about the game. And it pays. Sportsbet, a foreign owned company, nearly tripled its revenue, from US$620 million to US$1.5 billion, in just 12 months, from 2019 to 2020. And they pay minimal tax—a mere $½ million annually—by locating their operations where the tax regime is most friendly, currently the Northern Territory. I'm aware of young teenagers in Goldstein who are gambling on apps; 72 per cent of parents are bothered by this, ACMA research says, and 76 per cent of AFL fans don't want it either, according to a recent survey, while 62 per cent said the AFL should not receive any revenue from gambling advertising. Eleven of 16 AFL club executives who were polled by The Age in 2022 said the level of gambling advertising in the sport is excessive. One said the AFL had 'prostituted themselves to the gambling industry'.

Our system has normalised gambling, and we must fix it. Soccer-mad Belgium is leading the way, progressively getting rid of gambling ads, and sponsorship for pro teams will be phased out over five years. If we don't follow, there will be long-term consequences. The largest group of sports betters in Victoria is young men aged 18 to 24—part of the first generation to be subjected to ubiquitous and insidious gambling advertising.

Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

is there a seconder for the motion?

Kate Chaney (Curtin, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Louise Miller-Frost (Boothby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to speak on the motion put by the member for Goldstein on this very important issue of gambling harm. Australians are the biggest gambling losers in the world. There are other countries that have similarly large gambling cultures and gambling industries, but Australians lose more, on average, than those in those other countries. On a per capita basis, Australians are losing $1,300 per year, for a total of a staggering $25 billion a year. And of course we know that for everyone who doesn't gamble there are others who are losing much more.

We know that gambling can cause significant harm to individuals, families and the community as a whole, and the number of people experiencing gambling harm has doubled in the past nine years. Gambling takes many forms in our community, from lotteries to on-site sports betting to casinos and pokie machines and, in more recent years, online gambling. It is online gambling, available on your smartphone or your computer 24/7, in your school, in your home or in your bedroom at night, that is now causing significantly escalating issues. The rate of harm among online gamblers is three times that among those using the physical gambling product, where you actually have to go out to a venue. It's is for this reason that the Minister for Social Services referred the issue of online gambling harm to the Social Policy and Legal Affairs Committee, chaired by the member for Dunkley and of which I am a member, and I recognise the member for Curtin here in the chamber, who is also a member of that committee. The terms of reference include current protections and their effectiveness, support and education available, ensuring that protections are modernised and account for changing technologies, the definition of 'gambling service' in the Interactive Gambling Act and whether it should include and capture loot boxes and social casino games and other gambling-like mechanisms that are available to young people and children, the current advertising restrictions and their effectiveness at limiting children's exposure to gambling products and services, and protections against illegal gambling services, including offshore casino websites.

This committee has heard and continues to hear from a variety of stakeholders, including those who identified to us that they are gambling addicts, the families of gambling addicts, and gambling help support services, as well as the gambling industry, the advertising industry, the sports industry and academics who have knowledge of the Australian and international gambling sectors. Some of the stories we have heard are heartbreaking. Many from the public hearings are on the record. People have lost tens of thousands of dollars overnight—literally during a night. People have lost their houses, their redundancy payouts, their marriages, their jobs, their families and, sadly, much more. People have had to change their entire lives to avoid gambling triggers, such as sports stadiums, television, radio and social media.

The Albanese government takes this very seriously. While the report will be handed down later this year—and I am very strongly committed to evidence based decision-making, so I am looking forward to that coming out—I would like to highlight three actions being taken already. The Albanese government is committed to ensuring online gambling takes place within a robust legislative framework with strong consumer protections, including the implementation of the national self-exclusion register BetStop. In the committee inquiry we heard from gamblers about the difficulty they have had trying to self-exclude from hundreds of online gambling sites only to find a new one pop up in their email the next day. BetStop will be the one-stop shop for self-exclusion. It will require licensed phone and internet wagering providers to check whether their consumer has self-excluded before they provide services. They will be required to promote BetStop on their websites, app and all other promotions.

Secondly, while advertising is part of the terms of reference of the committee inquiry, we are acting on previous recommendations. As of 30 March, the previously legally required gambling advertising message of 'Gamble responsibly' has been replaced with alternating messages that focus more on the possibility of losing: 'Chances are you're about to lose' and 'You win some; you lose more.'

Thirdly, Deputy Speaker, you may be alarmed to know that, among the harms of online gambling and the really significant losses the committee is hearing about, 15 to 20 per cent of gamblers are gambling not only with money they cannot afford to lose but actually with money they don't have in the first place. It's for this reason that we will be eliminating gambling with credit cards.

Kate Chaney (Curtin, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There's broad understanding that gambling, especially online gambling, does a lot of harm, but the data to back it up is actually astounding. As a country, we spend as much on gambling in a year as the federal government spends on social security and welfare. Australians have the highest gambling losses in the world, averaging nearly $1,300 a year each. At its extreme, gambling disorder is a medically identified behavioural addiction. It has a material effect on the brain's reward, prioritisation and stress symptoms. Some groups are more vulnerable: young people, men, culturally and linguistically diverse groups, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people with mental health conditions or substance abuse issues.

Due to the threefold increase in gambling advertising over the last decade, to $287 million, gambling is now completely normalised in every aspect of life through ever-present advertising. Kids are prepared for gambling through skin-betting sites, loot boxes and social casino games, which are often owned by gambling companies. But, despite its normalisation, losing money through gambling remains highly stigmatised. A number of constituents have told me their stories or their children's stories, but they've wanted to remain anonymous because of the shame.

There's broad community agreement that we have a problem. In mid-2022, a survey showed 71 per cent of Australians supported a ban on gambling ads. This support isn't partisan; it's well spread across voting intentions. I've had 50 constituents contacting me seeking action on this issue. Why is change so hard in this area if there is broad community support for better regulation? It all comes down to money and power. Foreign companies, sports codes, media and politicians all stand to benefit from the gambling industry, despite the social harm to the community. These powerful vested interests mean regulation is designed to serve the gambling industry, not to address community concerns.

Sophisticated foreign companies dominate the new online gambling market. They make huge profits by engaging in appalling predatory behaviours. Online gambling is particularly insidious because it is private and accessible 24/7. It creates a heightened sense of unreality. It's easy for companies to use your personal information against you. Through algorithmic decisions, spending opportunities are curated according to your vulnerabilities and how you play. If you try to stop, these companies lure you back with inducements. The media are captive, saying the sky will fall in if they lose their recently tripled gambling revenue, threatening the sustainability of local news and local content on television and radio. Sport is also captive to the gambling industry, relying on multiple, parallel income streams from advertising, sponsorship and bets themselves.

A few weeks ago I had a complaint from a constituent who, despite being 62, ticked the under-18 box on the AFL app so he wouldn't be served up gambling ads. Despite this, he is still bombarded with them.

Politicians from the major parties happily accepted $1.7 million in donations from gambling companies last year. This included a $19,000 Sportsbet donation slipping under the radar to the current Minister for Communications, who is responsible for regulating this area.

As a result of these vested interests at every level, regulation is messy and inconsistent, with multiple self-regulating industry bodies creating an inadequate patchwork, with confusing holes and gambling providers flocking to the Northern Territory in a race to the bottom.

The regulatory approach focuses on personal responsibility, blaming vulnerable victims who are subject to sophisticated predatory behaviour. I heard from one gambler who'd self-excluded from 100 sites and was still sent promotional offers.

In this context, I issue a challenge to the federal government: gambling must be regulated as a public health issue. You will need to be bold. Minor reductions in advertising are unlikely to be successful. The opposition's recent support for banning ads during free-to-air sports broadcasts is the very minimum. We need to go further into online ads and other types of promotion, otherwise the ads just shift. Partial bans have at best partial results. We need a nationally consistent approach.

After years of advocacy from the crossbench, the House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs, which I am a member of, will complete its inquiry into online gambling shortly and make recommendations. Then, our communities will watch to see if government will be brave and act in the public interest. (Time expired)

Kate Thwaites (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to the member for Goldstein for bringing forward this motion. Gambling and its many harms are of great concern, and we are seeing huge amounts of money spent on gambling advertising. With that, we're seeing kids and young people and others exposed to gambling ads at a level that I doubt we've ever seen before and that I know many in our community do find concerning.

I've seen this in my own life, as I know many parents have. I recently sat down with my five-year-old daughter—it was the first time we let her stay up late to watch the footie on the TV. She is a Cats supporter—that's not my fault; that's her father's fault. But she stayed up late, and I was really shocked sitting there with my five-year-old to see so many ads and having to explain to her what those were about. So I, like many families, get that, and our government understands that we do need to minimise the harm associated with online gambling and gambling advertising as an absolute priority.

Across my community, I have had people tell me about their experiences of gambling and how worried they are for beloved ones who were struggling to break out of their gambling addiction. I recently sent out a community survey, and, in response, a Greensborough man told me that one of his biggest priorities for our government was that we address the intensive and unrelenting gambling advertising that we are bombarded with. He said that one family member of his was in danger of losing her house as a result of gambling addiction.

In the same survey, a woman from Heidelberg told me that with all the advertising just everywhere and on so many sites, especially online, sportsgrounds and the television, it's a real worry to watch. She was particularly concerned with the take-up of gambling among younger generations in our community.

In the same survey a man from Viewbank told me about the impact gambling addiction has had in his household. He said that his 19-year-old son has lost about $20,000 between last year and this year. This young son only earns $500 a week as an apprentice cabinetmaker. This man explained that all his son had to do was download the apps and create an account, and his son was, in his opinion, addicted to the apps.

So we do see these harms in our community, and our government is very much aware of the harm that is being created. To these locals and to the many others across Jagajaga who I know are deeply and rightly concerned about the prevalence of gambling, I want to assure you that our government is committed to taking action. At the moment my good friend the member for Dunkley is chairing an inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm. I am really looking forward to seeing what I know will be serious and well-thought-through recommendations from that inquiry in the coming months. It is important that we address this issue and that we address it in a way where we have considered all the evidence before that committee before we act on those recommendations. Our government is eagerly awaiting that report and its recommendations in order to give them the consideration that they deserve. I know that many members of that committee are here in the chamber. Thank you for the work you are doing on behalf of all of us in that committee.

We do recognise that it's not only people who are gambling who are impacted by gambling harm. The impact of significant problem gambling typically extends to around six other people. Moderate-risk gamblers affect up to three other people, and low-risk gamblers affect one other person. So when we see those ripple effects across our community we know this is not something we can have as situation normal. We do need to make improvements. We do need to make sure that what we have in place protects members of our community from harm.

Our government is committed to protecting consumers, their families and their communities from gambling harm, particularly that caused by problem online wagering. It is work we have already started. We have been taking action to reduce the impacts of problem gambling. We have already banned the use of credit cards for online gambling, bringing online wagering into line with land based gambling, where that rule was in fact already in place. We have implemented new taglines, mandated activity statements and committed to delivering a national exclusion register. These are important measures that will help to build a better culture of responsibility on the part of organisations in this industry.

It is clear that our community wants to see changes to online gambling and related issues. They can see, like those of us in this place, that we have to take action on this. Our government has started the work. We do know there is much more to do. I do really look forward to seeing the recommendations of the inquiry in the coming months to see how best we can make this change to reduce gambling harm for people right across our country.

Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.