At least six federal Labor and Coalition politicians, including an assistant minister and senior shadow ministers, have declared accepting complimentary tickets and hospitality from major gambling companies in recent months, as pressure mounts on the Albanese government to strengthen wagering regulation and curb gambling advertising.
Disclosures on the parliamentary register of interests show that Anthony Chisholm, the assistant minister for regional development and agriculture, accepted hospitality from Tabcorp on two occasions. He declared receiving four tickets and hospitality at Melbourne’s Derby Day at Flemington Racecourse in November and again at the Magic Millions Race Day on the Gold Coast in January.
Sportsbet, Australia’s largest online bookmaker, also hosted several MPs. Labor figures Raff Ciccone and Dan Repacholi, Coalition shadow ministers Dan Tehan and Tim Wilson, and Liberal MP Mary Aldred each declared tickets to high-profile sporting events, including the Australian Open, Caulfield Guineas and a Wallabies rugby union match.
Wilson, the new shadow treasurer, disclosed attendance at the Caulfield Guineas race meet with his spouse in November. Tehan declared that Sportsbet provided attendance for himself and two guests at the Australian Open men’s semi-final in January, while Aldred also received two tickets to the same match. Ciccone declared he was a guest of Sportsbet at the Australian Open, receiving “2 x ticket and hospitality”, and Repacholi disclosed four tickets and hospitality to attend the Wallabies’ clash with the British and Irish Lions in Sydney last August.
In response, a Sportsbet spokesperson said the company makes “significant contributions” to sport and racing through taxes and fees and supports “meaningful, measured reform” in advertising, including frequency caps and banning ads in stadiums or on playing jerseys. The spokesperson added that, like many businesses, Sportsbet occasionally hosts stakeholders, including elected representatives, at major sporting events.
Tehan said he had been “officially invited” to the tennis in his capacity as co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Thoroughbred Racing group.
Independent MP Kate Chaney, a vocal advocate for gambling reform, criticised the practice. “Sure, technically no rules have been broken, and these gifts have been declared. But it stinks,” she said. “Australians can see right through it – they want gambling reform but instead they get gambling companies wining and dining leaders at expensive sports events. Party politicians who accept ‘hospitality’ from these companies need to wake up and stop pretending that gambling companies give away free tickets to politicians because they’re nice guys.”
The disclosures come as the federal government faces growing internal and crossbench pressure to finalise its delayed response to a parliamentary inquiry led by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy, which recommended a comprehensive ban on wagering advertisements.
Beyond gambling firms, dozens of MPs declared tickets to major summer events such as the Ashes cricket series and the Australian Open from bodies including Cricket Australia, Tennis Australia and corporate sponsors. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and several ministers and crossbenchers also disclosed hospitality from sporting organisations and companies.
While all gifts were declared in accordance with parliamentary rules, the revelations have intensified scrutiny of the relationship between wagering companies and federal politicians at a time when gambling reform remains politically contested.