The federal government is making progress on its long-anticipated reforms to gambling advertising, with plans underway to introduce legislation before the end of the parliamentary year.
The Straight understands that discussions between Communications Minister Anika Wells, her team, and key stakeholders in the wagering, advertising, and media industries have intensified in recent weeks.
However, it is believed the government’s position has altered from its plans, which were set to go to the party room last year, before Prime Minister Anthony Albanese intervened to push any reform discussions beyond the May federal election.
Emboldened by a resounding election win which gave Labor a substantial majority in the lower house, Albanese and his new Communications Minister Wells want to push forward with advertising reforms, more than two years since the You Win Some, You Lose More bipartisan parliamentary report was handed down.
The Straight believes the government is likely to retain or strengthen its stance on restrictions around free-to-air TV.
Under the proposals leaked to the media in August last year, gambling ads on television would be restricted to two per hour between 6am and 10pm, with total bans around sports events and children’s TV times.
A total ban on online advertising in the wagering category seems less likely.
Concerns persist that a blanket ban on regulated advertisers in the online space would merely open the door for grey or black market operators to step in and fill the void.
The specifics of how new legislation would impact streaming services, such as Kayo and Stan, are reportedly unresolved.
It has been expected that any reform would give racing-related publications a “carve out”, although there is no indication as yet if that remains in plans of the Communications Minister as she looks to get something before the party room in the coming months.
Bren O’Brien
Any changes are unlikely to be obstructed by a weakened federal opposition, led by Sussan Ley. The former opposition leader Peter Dutton had sought to use Labor’s lack of political progress on gambling advertising to political advantage, but that tactic is said to be less of a priority by the opposition in the new parliament.
An amenable opposition would mean Labor may not have to deal with the crossbench in the Senate in order to progress its changes.
It has been the crossbench and the Greens who have driven much of the pressure on the government to implement all 31 recommendations of the You Win Some, You Lose More Report to the letter.
That would mean a total ban on gambling advertising, phased in over a three-year period. However, at least 21 of the 31 recommendations of that report involve consultation and concessions from state and territory governments, something that will prove politically difficult and time-consuming.
Instead of playing the political game, sources have said Wells and her team have been working on a plan to bring the various stakeholders together on an agreed-upon plan to take the first step.
It would be the first of several stages of reforms, with multiple areas falling under the remit of Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek.
Labor wants to get the legislation before parliament this year, but some stakeholders believe that timeline may be too ambitious, with details still being thrashed out. An early 2026 scenario seems more likely, with reform being phased in from that point.
