The
Alliance for Gambling Reform
collaborates with organisations concerned about the harmful effects of gambling in Australia. As a registered health promotion charity, we strive to make Australia a safer, healthier, and more equitable society by reducing gambling harm. We prioritise policies that prevent and minimise gambling harm and base our policies on lived experience and public health evidence. We believe that lived experience is critical to developing informed solutions.
Latest Media Release
Australia’s online gambling laws among the weakest in the world - Industry exploiting weak laws to groom children for a life of gambling
2 June 2023
New analysis of online-gambling laws across the world has revealed Australia has one of the weakest regulatory regimes on the planet as many countries across Europe and Asia move to reduce gambling harm.
And our status as an international laggard on regulating online gambling is allowing the gambling industry to “groom” young people through the gamification of gambling and even offering free, unrestricted apps that mimic the look and sound of poker machines.
In The New
Australia’s online gambling regulation far behind global pack, advocates find
...The chief executive of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, said so far reform in Australia to target online gambling, advertising and products aimed at children had been piecemeal and slow.
“It’s at a time when the community is really screaming out for some change in this area,” Bennett told Guardian Australia. “They’ve now started implementing and putting in place the things that are way overdue, long overdue. We’re playing catch up.”...
The Guardian - 2 June 2023
Harm from gambling is a serious public health issue that is growing rapidly and directly impacting millions of people, as well as placing a burden on the economy. Australians lose the most to gambling per capita, at around double the average of other Western Countries. The gambling industry has expertly crafted a system which is not only very profitable but also makes significant direct contributions to politicians and political parties that form our governments. Taxes derived from gambling are often placed in state hospital, mental health and charities funds which makes it difficult for governments to justify regulatory changes that would reduce tax revenue. READ MORE
TAKE ACTION
END GAMBLING HARM AFTER DARK
The risk of gambling harm from poker machines increases after dark. We know that the high levels of harm being experienced by people in the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning are avoidable.
Click here to learn more and take action
CALLING FOR AN END TO GAMBLING ADS
It's time to kick gambling ads out of sport!
Sign the petition and find out more about how you can stand with us to end gambling ads here!
INQUIRY INTO ONLINE GAMBLING AND ITS IMPACTS ON THOSE EXPERIENCING GAMBLING HARM
nline gambling participation has increased exponentially over the past few years and the true extent of its impacts and reach are still being fully understood. However, the evidence available shows significant gambling harm being experienced online by young people and vulnerable community groups with a significant increase in online wagering companies profits over the past few years. Click here to learn more and take action
We're an independent, not-for-profit and proudly rely on our supporters, not the gambling industry!
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Rev Tim Costello
Chief Advocate
Some of our largest companies and investment funds have a vested interest in poker machine gambling. Governments want few restraints given that $5.5 billion flow into their coffers every year. This is a difficult problem to unlock. Many Australians have a stake in the future of the gambling industry through their superannuation, equity investments and participation in clubs and pubs.
Over the past twenty years this is an industry that has been unleashed on Australia, without reasonable regulatory controls or even a genuine community conversation.
GAMBLING DATA
Australians spend more per person on gambling than any other country in the world - almost double that of New Zealand.
Poker machines are the most harmful form of gambling, making up $11 billion of Australia’s total gambling losses in clubs and pubs alone.
Australians spend more money gambling than on other activities that can be addictive and dangerous including alcohol, tobacco and all illegal drugs. It is a major driver of household debt, and family and personal dysfunction.
The Australian gambling industry pocketed $25 billion dollars in 2018-19, largely from Australians who can least afford it. A complacent attitude to the gambling industry has resulted in few marketing, planning or technology constraints.
$24B
GAMBLING
$14.9B
ALCOHOL
$9.3B
ILLEGAL DRUGS
$6B
TOBACCO
STAND WITH US AGAINST POKER MACHINES DESIGNED TO ADDICT
PLAY YOU
THE POKIES
Latest News
Australia’s online gambling regulation far behind global pack, advocates find
The Guardian
2 June 2023
The chief executive of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, said so far reform in Australia to target online gambling, advertising and products aimed at children had been piecemeal and slow.
“It’s at a time when the community is really screaming out for some change in this area,” Bennett told Guardian Australia. “They’ve now started implementing and putting in place the things that are way overdue, long overdue. We’re playing catch up.”
NSW Government cracks down on gambling - but is it enough?
SBS News
19 May 2023
The new Labor government in New South Wales is removing gambling-related signage from pubs and clubs. The signage must be removed or altered by the first of September, with banned terms and images including VIP room, VIP lounge, dragons, coins, and lightning. Advocates for gambling reform have welcomed the move.
Crown to lay down $450m for money laundering breach
7 News
31 May 2023
...The Alliance for Gambling Reform welcomed the penalty, saying it was a watershed moment that highlighted the value of a national regulator.
But chief executive Carol Bennett said governments needed to invest more in reducing gambling harm.
“This $450m would fund around 10 years of specialist gambling treatment, research, support for people harmed by gambling, policy development and advocacy,” she said...
Carol Bennett | Labor's gambling ties holding back proper reform
The Canberra Times
17 May 2023
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was right to put gambling, and more particularly sports gambling advertising, in the national spotlight in his budget reply speech to Parliament last week.
With Australians losing $25 billion to gambling every year - more than any other country - it is an issue that has profound financial, societal and health impacts for the country.
Treatment and support services for gambling harm
John Menadue's Public Policy Journal
8 May 2023
For someone who is experiencing gambling harm, either due to their own gambling or someone else’s gambling, finding a quality service is often difficult.
People with lived experience regularly tell us they struggle to find independent and quality information about what is on offer and the likely outcomes of any referral.