Support for a ban on gambling advertising is growing rapidly across the Australian Parliament, with MPs from all major parties, independents, unions, and grassroots movements rallying for reform. Labor MP and paediatrician Dr Mike Freelander has stated that a gambling ad ban would likely pass Parliament if a conscience vote were allowed, due to the broad consensus on the need to address gambling as a public health issue. “If there was a conscience vote… I’ve got no doubt we’d be able to ban gambling advertising,” he told the ABC. Freelander likened gambling harm to the tobacco advertising era, calling for decisive action to protect vulnerable Australians.
Freelander’s comments were echoed by Liberal MP Simon Kennedy and independent MP for Curtin, Kate Chaney, both of whom have become co-chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of Gambling Harm Minimisation—a revived cross-party group advocating for stronger gambling regulation. Chaney criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for blocking meaningful reform, saying there was "broad support" for serious regulation of the "predatory online gambling industry." She added, “Members of the crossbench are speaking up for their communities on this issue,” warning that joining the parliamentary group may be the only way some Labor MPs can voice community concerns.
Kennedy accused Albanese of delaying reforms, despite strong parliamentary consensus. He said, “Australians have a right to expect more urgency than this.” Drawing from personal experience, Kennedy recounted reading suicide notes with bereaved families impacted by gambling, adding, “This isn’t about shutting down gambling—it’s about protecting the most vulnerable people from an industry that can overwhelm them.”
The 2023 Murphy review into online gambling recommended 31 measures to reduce gambling harm, including a phased-in ban on advertising. Despite support from across the political spectrum—including from Chaney, who served on the committee—the Albanese government has yet to act on the report. Reform advocates are now redoubling their efforts, with a new push from civil society and within the Labor Party itself.
On Wednesday, the Parliamentary Friends group is set to host advocates in Canberra, presenting new research supporting the creation of a national gambling regulator. The Alliance for Gambling Reform’s CEO, Martin Thomas, highlighted how the Northern Territory acts as a “regulatory haven” for foreign-owned bookmakers, allowing them to operate nationally with minimal oversight and taxation.
Grassroots momentum is also growing, spearheaded by the newly formed Labor for Gambling Reform group, led by Unions NSW boss Mark Morey. The group aims to make gambling reform part of Labor’s platform at its July national conference, creating political pressure from within the party. Morey noted that gambling harm is concentrated in working-class suburbs, including many in Western Sydney, and that Labor’s internal support for reform is increasing.
The government has defended its record, citing reforms such as banning credit card use for online betting, launching the national self-exclusion register BetStop, and mandating customer account statements. However, critics argue these measures fall short of the systemic change needed to reduce widespread gambling harm.