Australia leads the world in gambling losses, with $34.8 billion lost in 2024—more than household spending on electricity, gas, or alcohol—highlighting the urgency of reform. This staggering figure underscores a broader systemic issue: a powerful and predatory gambling industry, enabled by successive governments’ inaction, continues to thrive at the expense of public health and wellbeing. While gambling is often stereotyped as a cultural trait, experts argue the problem lies more in the unchecked influence of gambling corporations and inadequate regulatory oversight.
A glimmer of hope emerged in 2023 with the release of the Murphy review, a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling that produced 31 recommendations to reduce harm. The inquiry, unusually bipartisan, included representatives from Labor, Liberal, Nationals, and the independent MP for Curtin, Kate Chaney, and recommended, among other things, a phased-in ban on gambling advertising. The cross-party unity reflected a rare consensus on the need for urgent reform. However, despite widespread public and political support, the Albanese government has so far failed to implement any of the recommendations.
Chaney, who was a member of the Murphy review committee, continues to advocate for reform. In Parliament this week, she asked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese whether he would allow a free vote on gambling advertising reforms. The PM responded evasively, claiming he could not “wave a wand and fix things immediately with one piece of legislation.” This marked a disappointing retreat from earlier government suggestions that limited reforms, such as a partial ad ban, might be considered. Instead, there are indications the government may use a proposed social media ban for under-16s as a pretext to shelve gambling reforms entirely—a move critics have labelled “political cowardice.”
Polling by the Australia Institute shows overwhelming public support for gambling advertising restrictions: 81% support a ban on social media and online ads, and 76% back a complete ban phased in over three years. Meanwhile, gambling advertising continues to saturate Australian media, and research cited in the WA government's consultation paper notes that such ads are “unavoidable,” particularly in Western Australia.
In response to federal inaction, states such as WA are now exploring their own reforms. WA’s ongoing review could potentially lead to a national first: a total ban on gambling advertising, aligning with the Murphy review’s recommendations. The state’s authority over gambling regulation gives it the power to act independently of the Commonwealth, potentially setting a new standard for national reform.
This week also saw renewed momentum from the Parliamentary Friends of Gambling Harm Reduction, a non-partisan group that includes independents like Chaney, Greens, Labor members, and even Coalition conservatives. Their unity illustrates that, despite federal delays, cross-party momentum for reform remains strong.
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie also questioned the Prime Minister about allowing a conscience vote on gambling advertising, to which Albanese responded negatively. Labor MP Dr Mike Freelander later asserted that such a ban would pass if a free vote were allowed—highlighting how the roadblock lies not in parliamentary resistance, but within the executive government itself.