Australia: Gambling harm advocates frustrated as government delays action on advertising reforms

The office of Australia's Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has issued an apology to individuals affected by problem gambling, acknowledging that long-awaited reforms to advertising have been delayed beyond initial expectations.

The government has yet to provide a new timeline for addressing a report from the late Labor MP Peta Murphy, which called for a total ban on wagering advertisements, a recommendation made 18 months ago.

“I acknowledge the ongoing toll this is taking on you and others, and I’m personally very sorry that we have not been able to secure an outcome thus far,” a staff member from Rowland’s office stated in an email seen by Guardian Australia.

“As a general observation though, I would note that decisions of this type require the support of the PM and Cabinet – ie, it’s not enough for a Minister to have formed a view.”

The apology came in response to an inquiry from Mark Kempster, a member of the Alliance for Gambling Reform group, who has campaigned for changes in gambling advertising. Kempster, a former gambling addict, had previously submitted evidence to Murphy’s inquiry, advocating for the removal of all gambling ads from Australian television and a ban on the targeting of customers with promotional material.

In his message to Rowland’s office, Kempster expressed his frustration over the continuing delays. “I can not really fathom how this has been delayed again,” he wrote. This message came shortly after the government confirmed that gambling reforms would not be introduced in 2024, despite Rowland’s earlier comments to ABC stating that Labor's plans would be unveiled by the year’s end.

“The effect the constant delays is having on all of us who gave evidence as Peta’s inquiry is taking a massive toll on us,” Kempster continued. “To wait up to 20 months for any type of response and actions surely can not be acceptable.”

In reply, Rowland’s staff acknowledged the delay and explained that while the government had initially hoped to finalize a decision and announce reforms by the end of the year, it now appeared unlikely that a public announcement would be made in time. “Any changes to legislation, etc would then be introduced to Parliament at the earliest opportunity next year,” the staffer noted.

“Can’t confirm a revised timeframe. I appreciate that this is really frustrating and hard to understand,” the email added. Rowland’s office emphasized that the government was focused on ensuring that the reforms would be both effective and comprehensive.

This delay has sparked outrage among advocates, with many pointing to the toll it has taken on individuals affected by gambling. Tim Costello, chief advocate for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, criticized the government's lack of action in a press conference on Wednesday.

“Within the prime minister’s power is the opportunity to simply say, we are implementing the Murphy report. Eighteen months on, this is a failure,” Costello remarked. “It takes backbone to protect children in this nation against very powerful vested interests. The failure to show that backbone has let Australians down.”

The delay has also drawn political criticism. Opposition communications spokesperson David Coleman accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of being too afraid to tackle the issue.

“He’s scared of anti-gambling advocates like Tim Costello. He’s scared of the AFL, he’s scared of the NRL. He’s scared of the media companies. So what does he do? He cowers in the corner and does nothing,” Coleman said in a statement.

The government has not provided a specific explanation for the delay, but Sport Minister Anika Wells mentioned on Monday that the financial interests of sporting codes had influenced the government's decision to halt the implementation of the proposed gambling advertising cap.

In her statement, Rowland confirmed that the gambling ad reform legislation would not be introduced this year and emphasized that the government would continue engaging with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the reforms, when implemented, would have a lasting and positive impact.

“As we have seen in the past, bad policy designs lead to bad outcomes. It is important we take the time to get these reforms right,” Rowland said.