Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has addressed the growing calls for a comprehensive ban on gambling advertising, but he stopped short of fully endorsing the measure.
When questioned directly on whether he would support such a ban, the Prime Minister emphasized that his government does not “make policy on the run,” highlighting instead the range of initiatives that have already been implemented to mitigate gambling-related harm.
Albanese pointed to several existing measures, including the establishment of BetStop, the national self-exclusion register, which he described as being “successful in stopping problem gambling.”
He also referenced the government’s restrictions on the use of credit cards for online betting as another key step taken to protect consumers.
The Prime Minister made a distinction between different forms of wagering, arguing that the core issue is not with recreational activities like “people having a punt on the horses on Saturday,” but rather with the significant number of individuals who are negatively affected by problem gambling.
He also noted that poker machines, commonly known as “pokies,” continue to be the largest single source of responisble gambling in the country.
One of the primary concerns raised by the Prime Minister regarding a total advertising ban was the potential for unintended consequences, particularly in the context of the global nature of online betting.
Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, said:
“What is in our mind is the practicalities of whether people just go offshore, then there’s no revenue at all and it doesn’t solve the problem.”
He elaborated that the technological complexity and the international reach of modern gambling platforms necessitate a careful and considered approach to policymaking.
His comments come as the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) continues its efforts to combat unlicensed offshore operators, having already blocked hundreds of illegal domains from being accessed within the country.
