House debates
Thursday, 15 June 2023
Statements by Members
Gambling
1:46 pm
Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Since my election in 2016 I have worked hard to hold the gambling industry to account and reduce gambling harm. I've worked with banks to find solutions to the use of credit in online wagering. I've fought for age verification, addressed the risk of loot boxes and rallied my community to say no to council's casino on the Sunshine Coast. And the coalition has now committed to banning sporting betting adds.
Gambling costs Australians roughly $25 billion each year, representing the largest per capita losses in the world, and that's not including unlawful gambling and the criminal underbelly that comes with the sector. On Four Corners this week Australians were brought face to face with the stark reality of gambling's malice and reach. The idea that big gambling companies are betting on local community sports should send shivers up the spines of mums and dads and community organisations everywhere. Gambling's insidious tentacles reach into our soccer clubs and locker rooms, seeking to profit from our kids. Enough is enough. We in this place need to do better, and I'm calling on the government to hold international bookmakers, data scouts and Australian sporting bodies to account on these issues. Our kids deserve better.