
Australian Senator David Pocock is advocating for an investigation into the gambling industry’s influence on government policy, as calls grow for stricter regulations on betting advertisements.
Senator David Pocock plans to refer the gambling industry’s influence on policy to a Senate committee inquiry, as reported by The Queenslander. The inquiry will assess the appropriateness of industry involvement in online gambling reform and review the government’s response to the Peta Murphy-led gambling harm report, which recommended a phased ban on gambling ads but remains unimplemented despite bipartisan support.
Concerns have also emerged over undisclosed meetings between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NRL and AFL executives regarding online gambling policy. These meetings, revealed through a freedom of information request, were not included in a Senate order for production of documents, raising transparency issues.
Pocock has demanded an explanation for the omission and plans to address the Senate on Thursday.
Figures from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) Transparency Register reveal that alcohol and gambling companies, along with related lobby groups, donated A$2.4 million to political parties in 2023–24.
Of the total donations, 61% went to the Australian Labor Party (ALP), while 38% was directed to the Liberal National Party (LNP).
Breaking down the contributions:
- Alcohol-exclusive companies donated A$998,000
- Gambling-exclusive companies contributed A$661,000
- Organizations profiting from both industries gave A$815,000.
The largest donors included the Australian Hotels Association, Queensland Hotels Association, Endeavour Group, Tabcorp Holdings, Clubs NSW/Australia, and Sportsbet.
In response to these revelations, advocacy groups like the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE)and the Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR) have called for a ban on political donations from alcohol and gambling companies.
Senator David Pocock’s referral to the Senate committee coincides with a separate Greens-led push for a private bill imposing strict limits on gambling advertising.
The proposal aims to ban ads on digital platforms, restrict ads before and after sports broadcasts, and prohibit them during children’s programming. It also limits TV gambling ads to two per programme. While less restrictive than the Greens’ earlier call for a total ban, the proposal aligns with Labor’s previous policy stance.
In 2024, the government reportedly briefed industry representatives on plans to limit TV gambling ads to two per hour, ban them during children’s programming, and prohibit online and social media ads. However, these measures were never formally announced and were later shelved.
The government has since stated that it is still consulting with industry stakeholders before implementing any legislative reforms.