Steph Hodgins-May (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hanson-Young for this motion to establish a Senate inquiry into gambling harm. Why am I not surprised that the Greens are yet again doing the work that the Labor government should be doing to protect Australians from gambling harm? It has been over a year since the late Peta Murphy tabled the report of the House inquiry into online gambling—a report that gave a clear recommendation to end gambling ads across all media within three years. So what has the government done in response to this Labor-led inquiry and report? Nothing. In the year since this report was tabled, we have seen Albanese and his government delay responding and dodge their responsibility to act. We have seen Minister Shorten tell us that gambling harm isn't the same as tobacco. And now, we will likely see the Labor government vote against this Greens motion to establish a Senate inquiry and build on the crucial work of Peta Murphy's report, all while the gambling industry continues to profit off the misery of everyday people.

Australians lose more per capita on gambling than any other country in the world, gambling away a staggering $25 billion per year. But this doesn't even begin to capture the widespread harm this destructive industry is having on Australians. Nearly every week, I read or hear stories about people whose marriages have fallen apart, who have gone to prison, who have gambled away their homes, who have lost their jobs, families and friends, or who have been sent into a spiral of mental distress as a result of gambling. Gambling is destroying people's lives and it's destroying communities.

I want to take a moment to read this story from Ed, who shared his story with the Alliance for Gambling Reform and whose experience serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of gambling. Ed started gambling at just eight years old, and by 15 he was already feeling the devastating effects. Like many others, his struggle with gambling started quietly but gradually spiralled into life-altering consequences. After he stole money the first time, he couldn't stop. He said: 'I kept chasing my losses with more stolen money. Before I knew it, I was in a $1.8 million hole.' Ed's lowest point came when he found himself stealing from clients where he worked. He sank deeper into the cycle of gambling harm in a desperate attempt to recover lost money. His addiction continued behind bars with card games and bets on the footy offering a familiar yet dangerous outlet.

Fortunately, unlike many other gambling stories, Ed's story doesn't end in despair. He found the help he needed through a gambling support group. He finished his time in prison and is now an advocate for others in their journey to recovery. Ed wants to see stronger action from the government on gambling ads. He wants to see the government protect children and young people from being drawn into the dangerous world of addiction. He worries about the impact that gambling ads are having on young generations and the ease with which teenagers are exposed to gambling ads and inducements. He said: 'We need to educate kids about gambling, just like we do about drugs. By the time they turn 18 it might be too late. This is an epidemic waiting to happen.' Well, frankly, it is already happening.

Jacob's story from the Alliance for Gambling Reform is not too dissimilar. His father used to take him to watch the footy most weekends. It was there that he discovered sports betting. From the age of 16, Jacob started placing small bets at the stadium to add a little more excitement to the game he was about to watch. He watched a lot of sport on TV, so when gambling became accessible through the red button on his remote, he says he started gambling on games that he watched from home.

But it didn't stop there. He said, 'I would also pass a betting shop on my walk to and from school every day and would often duck in for a quiet punt on my way home if there were games on that evening.' He said, 'Once sports gambling became accessible to me via the internet and my phone, I started venturing into betting on all kinds of different sports outside of my usual.'

Jacob would spend his entire salary within the first week. He was forced to turn to payday loans to pay for his living experiences. He said, 'Eventually I realised this couldn't continue and I had exhausted all options to get money to pay my rent.' He still remembers the feeling he had confessing to his loved ones. 'It was like no other feeling I've experienced before. Guilt, shame, embarrassment, fear, sadness all rolled into one big feeling that makes you feel like you want to go to bed and never wake up again.' Like Ed, Jacob has now recovered. He has rebuilt his life and his relationships, and volunteers to help other addicts do the same.

These stories from Ed and Jacob demonstrate just how dangerous gambling can be and how easily children can get sucked in. Yet this government, and many governments before them, have failed to take any meaningful action to protect them. With a bit of courage and conviction, Labor could buck this trend and actually take meaningful action protect Australians from one insidious contributor of gambling harm—gambling advertising.

Gambling advertising not only fuels gambling, it normalises it. In just one year, one million gambling ads were aired on free-to-air television and radio, and that's not to mention the exponential rise in targeted ads across social media platforms. So when our kids sit down to watch their favourite match on telly, without realising it they've watched hundreds or perhaps thousands of gambling ads by the time they are 18 years of age. And then suddenly you have a whole new generation of gamblers in this country!

Research shows that gambling ads directly influence people's betting behaviour, and this is particularly true for young people and people at risk of gambling harm. It is incomprehensible that up to one-third of young people may be gambling before the age of 18. One-third of young people gambling before the age of 18—let that sink in. It's unfathomable just how embarrassingly wide the gap between policy and evidence is when it comes to gambling reform in this country. We know that gambling ads are insidious, a harmful tool being weaponised by the gambling industry to drag people into addiction. We know this; we've been told this by expert after expert.

Gambling ads are undermining the courageous efforts of problem gamblers doing everything they can to manage their addiction. How can you hear the stories of Ed and Jacob, of families broken and loved ones lost and come in this place time and time again and sit on your guilt-ridden hands? Shame! Shame on everyone professing to care while taking donations from gambling corporations and refusing to take action to reduce harm. People can see you. Read some evidence. Hear some witness testimonies. Look at the lead causes of domestic violence. Stop the excuses and stop allowing gambling harm to go unchecked on your watch.

In the face of Labor's inaction, the Greens have introduced a bill to ban gambling advertising in line with the Murphy inquiry recommendations. Now the major parties have an opportunity to take real action on gambling harm and make this bill law. While ending gambling ads is a critical step towards ending gambling harm, we know the damage does not stop there. The Greens are the only political party with a clear, comprehensive plan on gambling to take to the election. We want a national gambling regulator to ensure a consistent approach rather than just a patchwork of regulation that gambling companies and casinos can exploit. We also want to see a universal and mandatory precommitment system to protect those at risk of gambling harm. And we want transparency about the impacts of gambling, starting with clear reporting on which local government areas are hardest hit by gambling companies.

The Greens' plan goes further still. For far too long, effective regulation of the gambling industry has been obstructed by dirty political donations to the major parties. Last year it was revealed that one of Australia's largest betting companies, Sportsbet, paid $19,000 to Minister Michelle Rowland, now Minister for Communications and a key decision-maker for Australia's federal gambling policy before the 2022 election. Shamefully, Minister Rowland isn't alone. Recent analysis from the Alliance for Gambling Reform shows that at least 19 federal politicians have accepted hospitality from wagering companies to attend major events including the Melbourne Cup, the Australian Open, AFL matches and cricket games—and Taylor Swift concerts too, I'm told.

It is clear that the gambling industry is buying influence and favour, and the major political parties are only too happy to comply. The Greens have been pushing for an end to all political donations from gambling companies, amongst other destructive industries, for a decade, but the big parties refuse to bite the hand that feeds them.

Senator Hanson-Young's proposed Senate inquiry is an opportunity to shine a light on this insidious system. It is beyond time we stopped political donations from the gambling industry at all levels of government. The Greens are committed to cleaning up politics, which is why we want to ban dirty donations, cap all political donations at $1,000 and improve transparency regarding donations. Maybe with these reforms in place—just maybe—the Labor government will have the courage to act on gambling advertising. But, as I said, it is unlikely that Labor will support this motion today. It's unlikely that they will take any real action on gambling harm, particularly if it impacts their bottom line. They will continue to say it's too difficult, too complicated and too expensive. But people across Australia are sick of Labor's excuses; they are sick of inaction.

Australians want real change and effective regulation of gambling. They want policies like those of the Greens and actions like the ones we have taken in parliament to end gambling ads and establish a Senate inquiry. The Greens are ready to work with the government to deliver. We've only got a few days left of this sitting period. I urge the government to do the right thing: put a ban on gambling advertising and support this motion for an inquiry. These are things that the parliament could do and deliver this week. So today I ask the government: are you up for it?