Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take the opportunity to rise tonight and raise what has been a very topical issue over the last few weeks. All of us have heard discussion about the topic of live odds betting and betting advertising on our TV screens. Over the weekend we heard the very welcome announcement from the Prime Minister that all promotion of odds by gaming companies and commentators will be taken off our screens during live sports matches. This is a very welcome move by the PM and all involved. I have seen a groundswell of support for moving in the direction of taking off our screens this type of advertising during major sporting events, as have many of us in this House, through contact with constituents.

Particular congratulations should go to the Premier of South Australia, Jay Weatherill, for announcing last week that he will introduce extensive changes to the South Australian gambling laws which will ban live odds promotion and gambling advertising at South Australian stadiums. This very good announcement was made at the launch of Responsible Gambling Awareness Week in South Australia.

I know firsthand this is an area of great concern to many Australians. All of us enjoy watching sport on TV. If you come from my state of South Australia, Aussie Rules is the game to watch, while in New South Wales it is the NRL, and in summer we all watch cricket. Watching sport is a favourite pastime. When watching games on TV, we have been seeing more and more live odds betting commentating which has crept onto our TV channels in such a way that slowly it has become a part of the game itself. As the South Australian Premier said last week, we do not allow children into pokie venues, we do not allow children into the casino, we do not allow unaccompanied children on the racetracks, but we have not quite regulated the way that the advertising of sports betting has infiltrated living rooms where our children sit in front of the TV to watch many sporting events.

These announcements mean that bookies will be bounced from the stadium, gambling ads are restricted and live odds are gone for the entire game—a very good thing. Nobody should underestimate the significance of these changes. A clear message has been sent to the corporate bookies, professional sporting codes and broadcasters. They are now on notice. We cannot have a model of professional sport or free-to-air broadcasting that is dependent on gambling revenue for its existence.

As I said, Australian families want to see sport on free-to-air TV. What they do not want to see is odds and betting promotions shoved down their throats, but more importantly being shoved down the throats of young Australians. Families should not have to choose between watching a sports event and protecting their children from gambling addictions. That is why I support an end to all gambling advertising during G rated sports broadcasts. Watching the footy, netball, soccer, rugby and many other sports is a proud pastime for many Australians. I will always remember one of the greatest sporting moments that Australia had, and that was qualifying for the soccer World Cup in 2006, closely followed by the late nights and early mornings to watch us take the fight right up to the best teams in the world. I want our children and grandchildren, the next generations of Australians, to have the same great experience and the chance to watch their favourite teams without being exposed to the world of gambling. Children should be talking about their favourite teams, the skills on the field and their favourite players, not who they should put money on or what the odds are.

There are many good organisations in my electorate of Hindmarsh, such as the Salvation Army in Glenelg, Uniting Care Australia, Bower Cottages Community Centre. All these people work tirelessly to help families and communities cope with the problems caused by betting and by gambling. I have spoken to all of them on many occasions and they have told me firsthand some of the compelling stories of the devastation that has been caused to families by gambling. (Time expired