Labour accused of benefiting from gambling industry by Aussie Independents
As Australia heads towards a federal election on 3 May, gambling reform is once again dominating headlines. Independent MPs, often dubbed “teal independents” for their shared reformist agendas, are accusing the Labour government of dragging its feet on much-needed changes to gambling laws.
Their frustration is evident: after years of parliamentary inquiries and public debate, progress has stalled, leaving many wondering if the government is more interested in appeasing the betting industry than protecting the public.
The pressure comes as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labour government faces criticism for shelving key gambling reforms until after the election. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, this move followed internal cabinet discussions and a desire to avoid conflict with powerful betting, media, and sports organisations in the lead-up to the vote.
Allegra Spender, independent MP for Wentworth, didn’t mince words on social media: “We can’t keep abandoning good policy for safe politics. The government should have acted to ban gambling ads already. It’s clear they will only have the courage if there are strong independent voices in the next parliament.”
The Murphy Report and the push for a gambling ad ban
Calls for reform are not new. In 2022, a parliamentary inquiry led by the late Labour MP Peta Murphy investigated the social impacts of gambling and produced . Among its 31 recommendations was a bold three-year plan to ban all forms of online gambling advertising across Australian media.
The report’s findings were unequivocal: “Almost two years ago, a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling headed by one of the government’s own, the late Peta Murphy MP, presented 31 recommendations that would significantly reduce gambling harm, including a full ban on all gambling advertising and inducements,” a spokesperson for the Alliance for Gambling Reform said.
Despite widespread public support (76% of Australians reportedly back a ban on gambling ads), the government has yet to officially respond to the Murphy Report. Instead, Labour has floated a watered-down approach: capping gambling ads at two per hour until 10pm and banning them one hour before and after live sport, rather than a complete ban.
This has drawn sharp criticism from advocacy groups and MPs alike. “Anything less than a comprehensive ban on online gambling advertising will do nothing to protect Australians falling into the grips of gambling addiction,” argued Professor Steve Robson, President of the Australian Medical Association.
Andrew Wilkie, independent MP for Clark, was even more direct in parliament:
“I have not seen a more egregious and shocking abandonment of the public interest than this government’s refusal to implement a ban on gambling advertising.
“I can only deduce that this government remains absolutely scared stiff of the gambling companies, absolutely scared stiff of the TV and media companies and absolutely scared stiff of the major sporting codes who receive a payment from the gambling companies every time a bet is laid on a game…
“This government simply does not care about the community interest. This government does not care that incessant gambling advertising has the effect of grooming children for a lifetime of gambling and, for many of those children, many years of gambling addiction.”
Industry influence, political donations, and the pokies problem
Claims of close ties between the Labour Party and the gambling industry further complicate the debate. Wilkie didn’t hold back, saying:
“There’s such a conflict of interest there with the Labour party. I’d be hard-pressed to think of a political party in any other country in the world that is so substantial and directly beneficially associated with gambling.”
Others share this view, highlighting Labour’s long-standing ties, both financial and historical, to clubs that run poker machines, or ‘pokies’, which continue to fuel gambling harm across the country.
Political donations and perks from the gambling industry are also drawing criticism, with reports surfacing of MPs accepting free tickets to sporting events from industry players actively pushing back against proposed advertising bans.
Meanwhile, some state governments have taken matters into their own hands. New South Wales, for example, has banned gambling ads on public transport and introduced a raft of harm minimisation measures, from reducing cash input limits on pokies to mandating Responsible Gambling Officers in larger venues.
Despite these efforts, the federal government’s reluctance to move decisively has left many feeling that industry influence is winning out over public health. As David Pocock, independent Senator for the ACT, put it:
“We need to see real action, not just more talk, to protect Australians from the harms of gambling.”
With the election looming, gambling reform is shaping up to be a key battleground. Advocacy groups like the Alliance for Gambling Reform are actively campaigning for pro-reform candidates, determined to make sure the issue stays front and centre.
