Mary Aldred (Monash, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's been more than a thousand days since the release of the Murphy report into online gambling. That's 1,000 days of recommendations sitting on a shelf, 1,000 days of delay, 1,000 days in which the government has failed to act. In that time, the problem hasn't stood still. It's evolved, it's grown and it's moved offshore.

While Australia has an imperfect but well-regulated online gambling system—where identity checks are required, credit card payments are banned and safeguards like BetStop are in place—illegal offshore operators are exploiting the gaps left by government inaction. These operators are not bound by Australian laws. They offer credit card payments, they offer sign-on bonuses, they target Australians directly and, increasingly, they are targeting young Australians who are under the age of 18.

Here is where it becomes especially concerning. We are now seeing high-profile Australians like former elite athlete David Warner promoting offshore gambling platforms—former elite athletes like David Warner who should know better and who shouldn't be engaging in this. These platforms operate outside Australian law. They do not have the same consumer protections. They are platforms that Australians, including people under 18, are being driven towards through social media platforms. They are not doing it for free. People like David Warner are receiving significant financial kickbacks to promote the illegal offshore operators, and this is simply not acceptable. When a household name is used to promote them, it gives these platforms a false legitimacy that they do not deserve and that they should not have, and it is putting all Australians, particularly young Australians—teenagers and children—in harm's way.

At the same time, regulators like ACMA are doing what they can, but they simply don't have the powers or resources to keep up. These websites are blocked only to reappear the next day under a new name. It is like a game of whack-a-mole. Content is reported but remains live, and enforcement is always one step behind. It's no longer an abstract risk. It's happening right now, every day, and it's targeting young Australians.

After a thousand days, the question is simple. Where is the government? When will the government act? When will it take this seriously? Where is the action to deal with offshore illegal gambling websites? If we continue down this path, regulating Australians while leaving the back door open to illegal operators, we are not solving the problem at all. In fact, we are making it worse. We are sending it offshore, and we are leaving vulnerable Australians at risk. The Murphy report was tabled in 2023. It is time for action.

See this speech in context