A former Liberal Party lawmaker criticized the Coalition for supporting gambling reforms
Jenny Weir, a former member of the Australian Parliament from the Liberal Party, criticized her former Coalition colleagues for supporting the Labor government’s proposed legislative changes regarding gambling. According to her, the parliament’s refusal to support a complete ban on betting ads “let vulnerable Australians down,” reports The Guardian.
Wair was a member of the parliamentary committee chaired by Representative Peta Murphy in 2023. The committee recommended a complete ban on betting ads and promotional offers from operators. The former MP called the harms of gambling a national public health crisis and stated that both major political parties should have taken stronger measures.
Legislative changes passed by Parliament on Wednesday evening limit television betting ads to three spots per hour between 5:00 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Online ads will be shown only to users aged 18 and older, who must be given the option to opt out. Ads on athletes’ uniforms and in sports stadiums are set to be phased out gradually.
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The law also imposes new restrictions on promotional offers, celebrity endorsements, and commissions paid to employees based on customers’ losses. At the same time, the government did not implement a complete ban on online gambling advertising and promotions, as recommended by the Murphy Committee.
Weir stated that Parliament should have implemented the committee’s entire package of recommendations, including establishing a national gambling regulator and completely banning betting advertisements. She also expressed disappointment that the federal opposition voted alongside the government against the stronger measures proposed by crossbenchers.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the government had struck a balance between protecting the most vulnerable people and Australians’ right to gamble. Communications Minister Anika Wells reported that a total of 67,000 people have registered with the BetStop self-exclusion registry, of whom 41,000 remain in the system. According to her, nearly 80% of registrations are from people under the age of 40, and 38% of users have opted for a lifetime restriction on access to gambling operators. The legislation also strengthens BetStop and requires operators to fund an informational campaign about the service.
