THE federal government has finally confirmed its long-awaited plans for gambling reform, nearly three years after a gambling inquiry chaired by former Dunkley MP Peta Murphy handed down its final report.
The “You win some, you lose more” report was published in June of 2023. Among the 31 recommendations was a ban on online gambling advertising, stronger consumer protections for licensed online gambling, a crackdown on illegal gambling websites, and a legislated duty of care (“Murphy’s gambling law considered” The News, 22/1/2024) .
Last week Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the National Press Club that the federal government would legislate gambling reform once Parliament returns, but he stopped short of committing to implementing all of the report’s recommendations.
Albanese confirmed that the federal government plans on “restricting gambling advertising on broadcast television to no more than three ads each hour between 6am and 8.30pm, with a complete ban during live sport broadcasts within those hours; banning gambling ads on the radio during school drop off and pick up times (8am to 9am and 3pm to 4pm); banning gambling ads through online platforms, unless people have a logged in account, are over 18 and have the option to opt-out of gambling advertising; banning the use of celebrities and sports players in gambling ads, along with odds-style ads targeting sports fans; and banning gambling ads in sports venues and on players’ and officials’ uniforms.”
The reforms will be implemented from 1 January 2027 if legislated, the Prime Minister confirmed.
The Peta Murphy-chaired gambling inquiry released its report roughly six months before the Dunkley MP died from breast cancer. Since Murphy’s passing, the federal government has faced strong criticism for dragging its heels on gambling reform.
The Alliance for Gambling Reform has slammed the federal government’s approach. Alliance for Gambling Reform chief advocate Tim Costello said “we desperately hope that the reporting on the government’s plans is wrong – it will fall far, far short of the recommendations of the multi-party parliamentary committee recommendations led by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy.”
“If as the Prime Minister has said, his government wants to minimise children’s exposure to wagering advertising, these initiatives won’t work. Such a piece-meal approach fails our children,” Costello said. “The live sport ban does nothing to break the nexus between gambling and sport as the Prime Minister has said he wants to do, this doesn’t change the status quo and leaves the before and after match programs open to screen ads – and we know kids are watching those – and they should be considered part of the sporting broadcast for these purposes.
“Not a single parent in this country would opt in to their kids seeing gambling ads – that’s why it’s opt out – many people will forget or not realise, and it just puts greater onus on parents to always be logging in and opting out of countless apps and sites, it’s ridiculous. We know parents struggle to keep up with a constantly changing digital landscape, and like the social media ban, kids pretty quickly find a way around these things, that’s my biggest worry.”
The Prime Minister told the National Press Club last week that cabinet’s position on gambling reforms was not solely informed by Murphy’s report. “It’s informed as well by the key elements going forward. Some of it is about the Murphy Report, but the Murphy Report isn’t where it started and ended. And when we look at gambling as well, one of the things that I have said to some of the advocates, overwhelmingly, more than half of problem gambling is about poker machines,” he said.
“With regard to a duty of care, we’re considering a duty of care when it comes to online that’s much broader than just this.”
The federal government is also planning to legislate penalties for emerging online lottery products and a ban online keno “pocket pokies”.
Albanese said that the federal government would table its full response to the Murphy Report when Parliament resumes sitting.
First published in the Mornington News – 7 April 2026
