Advertisements for online gambling outfits are ubiquitous on the nation’s televisions. Not only are they annoyingly intrusive, there is growing evidence they are contributing to societal ills, making gambling seem like a normal pastime, encouraging risky behaviour and moulding children into future customers.
The Age has noted its concern previously, arguing that there is a strong case to introduce measures akin to the regulations governing the advertising of tobacco products. Polling and studies suggest this is a view that is increasingly shared in the wider community and among football fans in particular.
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In addition, The Age’s Jake Niall reports some high-profile AFL players are unwilling to be part of the growing relationship with gambling companies, exercising their right not to have their faces feature in Sportsbet advertising.
The good news is that tighter rules now appear likely. As Paul Sakkal has reported, the federal government is expected to announce reforms following a parliamentary committee inquiry into online gambling.
The inquiry, charged with investigating “online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm”, was presented with a deluge of submissions from campaigners, academics, state governments and everyday citizens suggesting the current restrictions on gambling advertisements are ineffective and fail to protect children. The inquiry chair, Labor MP Peta Murphy, said MPs “hear over and over again the community’s concern about the proliferation, on TV and online, of sports betting ads”.
While the ads are largely prohibited during children’s viewing hours, the South Australian government’s submission cited a study finding 84 per cent of children aged 11 to 16 watched sport after this time, “and thus were exposed to gambling advertising”. It also cited research showing that in 2021 an average of 948 gambling ads were shown on free-to-air TV in Victoria every day, the equivalent of one every 91 seconds, demonstrating “how pervasive these ads have become”.
A submission from the Queensland government notes that television broadcast after 7pm is “saturated” with gambling ads. The NSW government, meanwhile, cites research that found nearly 90 per cent of people believe children are exposed to too much gambling promotion.
Victoria did not make a submission, apparently due to caretaker provisions during last year’s election, but Premier Daniel Andrews said that did not mean “that we don’t think this is a serious issue”. He signalled he had no problem with the tighter line being sought by the other states.
It is somewhat confounding, then, that our major sporting bodies have pushed back. In its submission, an organisation called the Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports, which represents the football codes as well as Tennis Australia and Cricket Australia, argues that the current rules “strike a reasonable and responsible balance between the public interest in regulating gambling advertisement and minimising problem gambling and the ability of legitimate, regulated wagering businesses to operate”.
The organisation also claims that if advertising revenue from bookmakers – which grew from $89.7 million in 2011 to $287.2 million in 2021, according to Nielsen research – were “diminished”, it would affect the sports media rights deals that generate the codes’ principal source of income.
The AFL has somewhat reflected fans’ concerns in working to stop gaming firms directly sponsoring clubs and partnering with the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. Five AFL clubs have also divested themselves of poker machines over the past four years: Collingwood, Geelong, Hawthorn, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs.
Yet, clearly, more must be done. Sporting codes, which engage in social advocacy on many issues, must play a larger role to curtail the wider scourge of gambling advertising and to reduce Australian sport’s insidious dependence, indirect or otherwise, on its revenue streams.
Longer term, the government of South Australia has suggested that online gambling advertising be heavily restricted or banned altogether; this must be given strong consideration. Failing that, greater safeguards are a must.
Patrick Elligett sends an exclusive newsletter to subscribers each week. Sign up to receive his Note from the Editor.
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