Australian government criticized for gambling reform delay
The Australian government is facing increasing criticism for its failure to enact the key recommendations from a major gambling inquiry released two years ago.
The 2023 report “You Win Some, You Lose More” was produced under the guidance of the late MP and gambling reform campaigner Peta Murphy. It proposed 31 unanimously supported measures to reduce gambling harm, particularly among young people, but critics say that there has been minimal government action since then.
According to Tim Costello, the Chief Advocate at the Alliance for Gambling Reform, inaction is failing children.
“Smoking is legal, but kids shouldn’t be seeing it. Same with gambling. People can gamble, but there’s grooming of kids,” Costello told AAP. “We now have, with the two-year implementation (delay), a whole generation of kids who only think of NRL and AFL in terms of odds.”
Costello warned that gambling harm significantly contributes to suicide, domestic violence, and addiction, with as many as 600,000 underage Australians gambling in the past year.
He, along with other critics, also places blame on sports leagues, betting companies, and broadcasters for blocking reform.
The Australian Medical Association also has joined calls for urgent action, accusing the government of exposing millions to gambling harm. Figures show that Australians are one of the biggest gamblers in the world, wagering more than AU$244 billion (US$160 billion)1 AUD = 0.6576 USD
2025-06-30Powered by CMG CurrenShift every year.
A government spokesperson said that the government had taken steps, including banning online credit card betting and creating the BetStop self-exclusion register.
Dig deeper
2025/05/06: Bangladesh High Court orders government report on online gambling
2025/04/16: Australian politicians gifted AU$245,000 worth of sports tickets while mulling ban on online sports betting ads
2025/06/09: Australian regulator warns betting companies over self-exclusion breaches
2025/06/30: Australian influencers threatened with fines over promotion of illegal offshore operators
Verticals:
Sectors:
Topics:
