Australia’s efforts to place restrictions on gambling advertisements have encountered yet another setback, as doubts grow about the feasibility of pushing through gambling reforms this year.
There are suggestions that the proposed legislation aimed at reducing the visibility of gambling ads failed to secure sufficient support in the Senate. Meanwhile Australia’s Minister for Sport, Anika Wells, suggested that more consultations were required.
Australian Gambling Ads Ban Stalls Once AgainAndrew Leigh, the assistant minister for Treasury, contradicted the minister claiming that they
“aren’t able to find the numbers in the Senate at the moment for the blackout period before and after sporting events”.
Despite numerous studies on the subject and a proposed three-year phase-out for a complete ban on gambling ads following a parliamentary inquiry earlier this year, progress remains stalled. The parliamentary inquiry came back with 31 recommendations, with a ban on gambling ads the main proposal.
Speaking to The Guardian, Wells expressed concerns about gambling’s impact, stating,
Australian Gambling Ads Ban Stalls Once Again Australian Gambling Ads Ban Stalls Once Again“I’ve got concerns about how [gambling] is impacting sport integrity and how this is impacting our athletes.
On the flip side, I have national sporting organizations, professional codes worried about how this will impact the viability of their financial models.”
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Earlier this year, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese backtracked on suggestions that the government would introduce a ban on gambling ads saying “The problem isn’t advertising, the problem is gambling.”
Australian Gambling Ads Ban Stalls Once Again