Betting the house
The Albanese government is facing a significant political battle over gambling advertising reforms, and Australia’s media industry is deeply invested in the outcome.
The Albanese government’s position on gambling advertising is shaping up as a big political showdown in the weeks ahead. And it’s increasingly clear the powerful but financially challenged Australian media sector has a lot at stake in it.
As things stand, the government looks poised to fall well short of the sweeping reforms recommended by a cross-party committee chaired by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy, which included a blanket ban on gambling commercials on television.
At a press conference in Parliament House on Monday attended by Capital Brief, independent ACT senator David Pocock accused the government of caving in to “vested interests” — which, as he pointed out, includes not just gambling operators but also the media.
The current proposal would see the government impose bans on gambling advertising one hour before and after a live sport fixture. It would also impose caps on gambling ads before 10pm and ban ads on social media and other digital platforms.
