Labor is being urged to toughen up its gambling advertising legislation. Photo: iStock.
The Acting Prime Minister and the Acting Opposition Leader have both agreed on one point this week – that evidence before the Senate inquiry into Labor’s gambling advertising legislation is disturbing.
With both Anthony Albanese and Angus Taylor taking a few days’ leave this week, it’s been left to their deputies, Richard Marles and Jane Hume, to field leaders’ questions on the big issues.
There is not much bigger political news this week than the Senate’s gambling ads inquiry, which has thrown up some alarming accusations and statistics.
Claims of underage exposure to gambling ads; kids dressed up in gambling merchandise; and ads being played between children’s music are just some of the claims.
Threats of legal action by Canberra’s Hellenic Club against gambling reform advocate Kate Seselja for speaking up about a gambling addict’s suicide were also discussed under privilege in the Senate hearing.
And there was former NRL player Luke Bateman alleging gambling company executives had quietly offered to supply him with illicit drugs to keep him onside as a “high-volume” punter.
The gambling lobby has denied doing any such thing. They also deny marketing gambling to children.
The Hellenic Club says Ms Seselja’s claims are wrong and misleading.
But it all has added up to Mr Marles expressing unease about what is being raised in the hearing.
On Tuesday (4 August), the Deputy PM described the evidence as both “appalling” and “quite shocking”.
Senator Hume described the evidence, particularly Mr Bateman’s, as “very disturbing”.
But she would not reveal the Coalition’s hand on whether it will support legislation in its current form.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing what the recommendations of that inquiry are,” Senator Hume said.
“Let’s see how the government responds. But I think that we will let it play out before we put together the Coalition’s response to that.”
Fellow Liberal Simon Kennedy, however, has suggested the Opposition will likely seek to amend Labor’s bill to strengthen it.
That’s good news to Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who is urging the government to toughen the laws itself, but is happy to hear the Liberals might be willing to force Labor’s hand.
“I think within the Coalition there is growing concern that this bill will not protect people,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“I think Simon Kennedy is doing a very good job at articulating the serious concerns.
“This isn’t actually about party politics. This is about the vested interests of the gambling companies continuing to be predators on vulnerable Australians and particularly young people … I urge the Prime minister – read the room. Australians want proper protections in our laws against the predatory nature of these companies.
“It’s a dangerous piece of legislation as it stands; we’ve heard that it’s weaker than the status quo.
“I can’t vote for that, and I’ll be telling my colleagues not to vote for that.”
Mr Marles is giving nothing away as to whether the government might be open to strengthening the bill, but he did say Labor had done “an enormous amount in terms of trying to break the connection between gambling and sport and also protecting children from gambling advertising”.
During Tuesday’s Senate hearing, ACT independent senator David Pocock grilled gambling bosses over their approach to marketing and children.
Senator Pocock said there were sponsored videos of children who look as young as 12 dressed up in gambling merchandise.
He also told the inquiry that one of his constituents reported hearing a Sportsbet ad while playing Disney songs on Spotify.
Sportsbet’s director of corporate affairs Jules Norton Selzer said the account in question belonged to an adult and was set to receive ads.
“That is absolutely not our intention to advertise to minors,” he said.
But Senator Pocock said brand loyalty was being created in the “under-10 market”.
“Do you want every seven-year-old to have their own Spotify app so they aren’t served ads between Disney songs?” he asked.
“This just does not cut it.”
Senator Pocock also questioned SBS executives about broadcasting gambling ads during the midday 26 June FIFA World Cup game between Australia and Paraguay, which was played at some schools.
He said his office has never had as many complaints as it receives about gambling ads, and he asked whether SBS had had more complaints than usual about the ads during the World Cup.
SBS’s Sophie Kowald said the specialist public broadcaster’s complaint level about advertising is, overall, relatively low.
“With the increased viewership with the World Cup, I understand that increased viewership did lead to an increase in the amount of audience feedback SBS received,” she said.
“My understanding is that by and large the level of feedback remained consistent as a proportion.”
Under the gambling bill as it stands, advertisements are still allowed during sporting half-time breaks and weather delays, as well as during sporting broadcasts after 8:30 pm.
Original Article published by Chris Johnson on Region Canberra.
