New majority, old problem: Will Albanese finally tackle gambling reform?

Australians lost $32 billion to gambling between 2022 and 2023, or about $1,500 per person. And now, with a new majority government in place, pressure is building for action.

Archie Milligan
May 14, 2025

🎰 What’s happening

With a huge majority after the election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been handed a commanding mandate and advocates want him to use it — starting with gambling reform.

Albanese has previously indicated openness to restrictions, though reforms were sidelined before the election. With a fresh wave of concern, there are growing calls for the government to finally tackle gambling harm at scale.

📉 Just how bad is it?

Australians lost 32 billion dollars to gambling between 2022 and 2023.
Australia has 18 percent of the world’s poker machines, but accounts for less than 1 percent of global population.
The average loss? $1,500 per person.
And gambling is linked to 20 percent of male suicides.

📢 What reform could look like

Many experts are calling for a total ban on gambling advertising, similar to the approach taken with smoking.

Tim Costello, Chief Advocate of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, told the ABC that only a full advertising ban will work.

Former Prime Minister John Howard has also stepped in, telling the Financial Review he’ll urge the Liberal Party to back bipartisan reform — a move that puts pressure on Albanese to lead while Howard maintains a moral high ground.

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📘 What’s already on the table?

The most comprehensive guide is the Murphy Report, led by late MP Peta Murphy before her death in 2023. It made 31 recommendations, with number 26 calling for a phased, total advertising ban over three years:

Ban inducements, social media ads, and school-time broadcasts
Ban in-stadium and sports event ads
Ban broadcast ads from 6am to 10pm
Complete ban on all ads and sponsorships

💸 What’s the hold-up?

Then-cabinet minister Bill Shorten has pushed back, warning that a ban could cripple free-to-air media, which relies heavily on gambling ad revenue.

🗣️“The free to air media is under massive attack from Facebook… now some of the free to air media need gambling ad revenue at any time in order to stay afloat,” Shorten told the ABC.

Tim Costello wasn’t buying it, arguing:

🗣️“It’s as logical as saying free to air is in trouble — let’s bring back tobacco ads.”

He also mentioned the lucrative financial positions the owners of the Seven and Nine networks are in.

📌 Which makes a point

When tobacco ads left our screens it didn’t leave behind dead air. That valuable airtime found another market and it was filled.

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🎾 What’s next?

We’re only a bit over a week from when Albanese claimed election victory, but the calls for action are just getting started. The ball is definitely in his court.