Gambling ads are everywhere in Australia – on our TVs, at sporting events, and all over social media. They're normalising betting for our children and harming vulnerable Australians.

Despite 87% of Australians supporting restrictions on gambling advertising, our politicians continue to drag their feet while accepting millions in donations from the gambling industry.

Join thousands of Australians calling for a complete ban on gambling advertising. Add your name now.

Why This Matters

As a psychologist who has worked with individuals suffering from gambling addiction, I have witnessed firsthand the devastating impacts that problem gambling has on individuals, families, and communities. Gambling advertising normalises betting behaviour, particularly among young people who are heavily exposed through sports broadcasts and social media.

Recent research shows that Australia has the highest gambling losses per capita in the world, with Australians losing $24 billion annually to gambling [1]. The continuous barrage of gambling advertising – over 1 million ads aired on free-to-air TV and metro radio in 2022-23 alone – contributes significantly to this problem [2].

Despite the clear evidence and cross-party parliamentary recommendations to ban gambling advertising, our major political parties continue to drag their feet [3]. It's worth noting that gambling companies have donated over $2.7 million to the major parties in the past decade alone, with donations surging by 600% during this period [4]. This financial relationship raises serious questions about whose interests are truly being prioritised in policy decisions.

Our community and ‘the taxpayer’ ultimately pay the price, while gambling firms take huge profits from vulnerable families.

Read more about our policy proposal here.

References
[1] Sathanapally, A., Griffiths, K., and Baldwin, E. (2024). "A better bet: How Australia should prevent gambling harm." Grattan Institute Report No. 2024-08, September 2024.
[2] Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) (2023). "Gambling advertising in Australia: placement and spending."
[3] Murphy, P. et al. (2023). "You win some, you lose more." House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs, June 2023.
[4] Basford Canales, S. (2024). "How donations to political parties from gambling companies linked to horse racing have surged." The Guardian, 4 November 2024.