Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I'm very am pleased to second the member for Mayo's bill, the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Ban on Gambling Advertisements) Bill 2023, because, quite frankly, Australians are sick to death of gambling advertising. It's no wonder, when the study commissioned by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation found that more than 70 per cent of Australians want gambling advertising banned, and there's no wonder why, almost every day, members of the community tell me they're well and truly over watching gambling being promoted and normalised, often diminishing their enjoyment of sport and impacting dangerously on their children.

That last point matters so very much, because way too often Australian children are bombarded with targeted advertising campaigns on billboards, on sports uniforms, on the TV and on their phones and other devices. Good grief, the adverts are everywhere. Nor, of course, is this just a matter of spoiling the game. No. Ultimately, the more the predatory gambling companies advertise, the more they prey on the vulnerable and the more they stoke addiction, just like the tobacco companies once did. Frankly, we mustn't forget the enormous human cost of problem gambling. Indeed, as the member for Goldstein noted when introducing a similar bill last month, the estimated social cost of gambling in 2017 was $7 billion.

Of course, such figures are well known—we've heard them time and time again—but it seems the government needs a reminder of the real impact that gambling has. For instance, take Gavin Fineff, the former financial adviser who gambled and lost $8 million of his clients' money, with the willing assistance of three of Australia's biggest online betting agencies. Yes, Gavin understands he did the wrong thing and is now in jail, but he is not the only one to blame, because the predatory practices of Tabcorp, Ladbrokes and BetEasy facilitated and encouraged Gavin's gambling addiction. They offered him VIP status, bonus bets and tickets to sporting events. But, unconscionably, none of these companies once asked where the money was coming from. Indeed, they even facilitated accounts under a false name to allow him to continue gambling.

That this madness continues and that almost all the political parties remain beholden to gambling companies really does beggar belief, but I suppose it's not difficult to understand why when you consider the report by the Centre for Public Integrity, which shows $24 million in donations from the gambling industry to the major parties over the past two decades. It's no wonder the current Minister for Communications' receiving of big gifts from Sportsbet before the last election hardly caused a ripple.

I commend the member for Mayo for this bill, as well as the member for Goldstein, who introduced a similar bill last month, and I'm delighted to second it. At the same time, I ask the government: what further information do you need? We know what the problem is. We know the harm it causes. We know Australians are sick to death of gambling advertising and want it banned, so, for God's sake, let's just do it. Let's get behind this bill, which would do just this.

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