Australia Would Ban Gambling Ads After Cross-Party Vote, MP Says
Cross-party backing could deliver a ban on gambling advertising if parliament were allowed a conscience vote, a senior Labor MP has told colleagues.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Labor MP Dr Mike Freelander said a conscience vote would see a majority of MPs support a ban on gambling marketing, describing advertising as a public health problem that has left families and communities damaged. Freelander, a paediatrician who practiced in Western Sydney for decades, framed the debate in clinical terms: "I have seen the consequences of gambling in hospital wards and in family homes. This is not a moral crusade – it's a health response. Advertising drives harm by reaching the people who are least able to resist it."
The comments came as the Parliamentary Friends of Gambling Harm Minimisation – a cross-party group co-chaired by Liberal MP Simon Kennedy and independent Kate Chaney – was revived to press for reforms following the 2023 federal inquiry into online gambling. Both Kennedy and Chaney said they have found strong bipartisan concern about the pace of reform and the public impact of aggressive marketing by bookmakers.
"There is effectively a unity ticket in this parliament to address gambling harm", Kennedy said. "I've sat with families who have lost loved ones, read the horror in the notes they left, and I believe Australians have a right to expect more urgency from the government." Kennedy has been one of the more vocal critics of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's approach, arguing that implementation of the inquiry's recommendations has been slower than many stakeholders expected.
Chaney said members across the political spectrum – including crossbenchers – are increasingly pressing for change. "The community is sending a clear message that advertising must no longer normalise gambling", she said. "If the party system prevents progress, parliamentary groups like ours are sometimes the only way MPs can demonstrate the depth of local support for meaningful reform." Chaney has positioned the group as a forum for unifying lawmakers and elevating constituents' stories.
Related: Australia Backs Away from Total Online Gambling Ad Ban
Canberra Pushes for National Regulator
This week, the revived group is due to host reform advocates in Canberra for the presentation of fresh research backing the creation of a national gambling regulator. The Alliance for Gambling Reform, led by chief executive Martin Thomas, has argued that the current framework leaves openings for regulatory arbitrage – most notably through Northern Territory licences.
"The single Northern Territory licence has turned into a regulatory haven: low taxes, light oversight and rapid approvals that let offshore operators run campaigns across the country", Thomas said. He added that a national regulator would standardise rules, close loopholes, and provide a single point of accountability.
Research compiled for the alliance highlighted that roughly 1% of online gamblers account for more than 40% of total losses – an outcome concentrated among men aged 25 to 44, many of whom have dependents and mortgage obligations. The research also noted that people under financial strain or experiencing mental health problems are disproportionately represented among high-loss players.
Advocates say the policy package under consideration includes an advertising restriction, tighter controls on inducements and a national licensing regime that would prevent operators from exploiting lighter oversight in certain territories. Supporters point to historical parallels with tobacco regulation: aggressive marketing was once commonplace until public-health measures steadily restricted promotion and reduced harm.
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What Reform Would Entail
Policy hurdles remain. A formal ban on gambling advertising would likely require either government legislation or the suspension of party discipline to allow a conscience vote. Labor’s leadership has so far signalled caution, balancing reform imperatives with concerns about legislative complexity and industry pushback.
Legal and industry analysts say establishing a national regulator would involve negotiating responsibilities between Canberra and state and territory regulators, rewriting licensing arrangements and setting national standards for marketing, product design and player protections. The Alliance for Gambling Reform and allied public-health groups are due to brief MPs this week ahead of any parliamentary debate.
Whether the combination of cross-party pressure, public advocacy and new research will accelerate change remains uncertain. For now, proponents insist political will is the principal variable: as Freelander put it, "If parliament is allowed to vote its conscience, the law will follow the evidence and the community’s expectations".
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