As Australians celebrated their beloved footy codes’ biggest matches of the year, a high-stakes lobbying effort was playing out behind the scenes in the halls of power in Canberra. Newly released documents have pulled back the curtain on the gambling industry’s attempts to directly influence Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his government as they consider legislation to dramatically reduce gambling advertising in Australia.
The documents, tabled in Parliament after a Senate order from independent Senator David Pocock, reveal a flurry of letters, emails, meetings and memos between the offices of the Prime Minister and representatives of the NRL, AFL, and major wagering companies in the months leading up to the footy finals. The betting industry’s peak body, Responsible Wagering Australia, even sought to bypass the minister responsible for gambling regulation to take their case directly to the PM.
Gambling Lobby Claims Ad Bans Risk Match-Fixing
In correspondence to the Prime Minister, Responsible Wagering Australia mounted several arguments against significant restrictions on gambling advertising. Notably, they asserted that legal gambling products needed to remain “visible” to punters, claiming that driving gamblers to unregulated offshore operators could compromise the integrity of sports and racing by enabling match-fixing and other corruption.
However, gambling reform advocates have long argued that the proliferation of betting advertising, especially tied to sport, fuels addiction and ruins lives and families. A parliamentary inquiry chaired by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy recommended the government implement much stricter controls, including banning gambling ads on TV before 10:30pm and prohibiting betting sponsorships in sport.
Documents Reveal Access to PM’s Inner Circle
According to sources familiar with the government’s deliberations, the Albanese cabinet is likely to opt for more modest restrictions, such as frequency caps on ads, rather than the watershed bans recommended by the Murphy inquiry. The documents reveal gambling interests have had multiple meetings with senior advisors in the Prime Minister’s office, while Albanese himself attended the NRL and AFL grand finals as a guest of the leagues.
“This must stop – reducing harm and ensuring the wellbeing of Australian communities must be the Prime Minister’s priority, not pandering to the gambling lobby.”
Senator David Pocock
Senator Pocock, who has championed gambling reform, accused the government of “pandering” to the betting industry and said the level of access was “disturbing”. The Prime Minister’s office said it was appropriate to engage with stakeholders while formulating a response to the Murphy inquiry, and emphasized it takes seriously its responsibility to protect Australians from gambling-related harm.
High Stakes for Footy, Gambling Giants
For the NRL, AFL and wagering companies, the potential restrictions pose a major threat to a lucrative revenue stream. Gambling sponsorships and advertising deals are worth hundreds of millions to the football codes. Betting companies like Tabcorp, Sportsbet and Ladbrokes fear that strict advertising curbs could put them at a serious disadvantage to black market operators.
On the other hand, recent studies have shown that more than a third of Australian kids under 16 can name one or more gambling companies, while the social and economic toll of Australians’ gambling losses continues to mount. With the government promising to release its policy response before the end of the year, the battle over how far to limit the gambling industry’s influence over Australian sport and media seems set to intensify.
