I’ve just returned from the gambling roundtable hosted by Senator David Pocock and Kate Chaney MP.

The roundtable heard from:

• Australian cricket champion Usman Khawaja
• Alliance for Gambling Reform’s Tim Costello
• Gambling harm expert Deakin University’s Professor Samantha Thomas
• And families with lived experience of gambling harm

The government has dragged its feet for so long that speakers with lived experience of gambling harm were having to tell their stories for the fifth time. It clearly took a toll.

I’ll share what I can from the other speakers as it becomes available.

I spoke about how the only thing stopping action on gambling advertising is political will. There is no economic or democratic barrier.  

Australia Institute research shows that a small levy on gambling revenues could compensate for all lost free-to-air TV, metro radio and online advertising income: the $240 million the gambling industry spends is equivalent to a levy on gambling revenues of just 1.4%. That would mean:

• Lower profits for gambling companies
• More funding for journalism and entertainment
• Those ad slots become available for non-gambling industries.

Make it a 2% levy, and you could restore much of the ABC’s cut funding as well.

Advertising restrictions have the enthusiastic support of most Australians:

• Three in four Australians (76%) support a total ban on gambling ads phased in over three years.
• Four in five Australians support banning gambling ads on social media and online (81%) and in stadiums and players’ uniforms (79%).
• Nearly nine in ten Australians (87%) support banning gambling ads during prime time TV hours for families and children, including 61% who strongly support.
• Nearly four in five Australians (78%) agree that Australian Government policies should aim to reduce the amount people spend on gambling.