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OUR LATEST
MEDIA RELEASES

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Tasmanian poker machine backflip ‘a capitulation’

Gambling industry capture of State Government complete

19 Nov 2024

The decision by the Tasmanian Liberal Rockcliffe Government to backflip on becoming the first State to introduce a poker machine cashless card is an inexcusable capitulation to the power of the gambling lobby.

Open Letter urges Tasmanian Premier to resist opposition to pre-commitment gambling card reforms

13 Nov 2024

Chief advocate for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Tim Costello AO, has issued an Open Letter to the Premier, Jeremy Rockliff, and all members of the State Parliament, urging them to resist the efforts of the gambling lobby to undermine the promised poker machine mandatory pre-commitment card reforms.

Nine Entertainment AGM, Nine must end its gambling ad addiction

Network’s lobbying to kill off gambling ad reform ‘shameful’

4 Nov 2024

Nine Entertainment’s board directors have been urged to end the network’s gambling addiction and the network has been condemned as ‘shameful’ for actively lobbying the Federal Government to scrap gambling reform.

The chief advocate of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Tim Costello, on the eve of the company’s AGM this Thursday condemned Nine’s reliance on gambling advertising and compared it to tobacco advertising.

Gambling industry showering our politicians in gifts

Hospitality offensive’ in overdrive as pollies consider gambling ad ban

1 Oct 2024

Gambling companies, racing clubs and their lobbyists are showering Australian Federal politicians with gifts, tickets and hospitality as our leaders continue to deliberate major gambling reforms including a total ban on gambling advertising.

Some 32 parliamentarians received 60 gifts in this session of parliament including tickets to shows, races, dinners and sporting events. And this is likely just the tip of the iceberg as only gifts worth over $300 must be declared.

Pope Francis saddened by sports gambling advertising

Pontiff’s warning is nowhere more pertinent than Australia

25 Sept 2024

The Alliance has welcomed Pope Francis condemnation of gambling advertising in which the pontiff said he was sad to see football matches and sports stars promoting betting platforms.

In a message to social justice groups, Pope Francis, expressed deep concern with online gambling and the misuse of networks, which affect not only the poorest sectors of society but all social classes.

Online gambling losses explode as PM cites excuses not to ban gambling ads

Albanese’s concern for poker machine losses disingenuous

22 Sept 2024

Online betting has spiked by more than 50% in the last five years with losses now totalling $9 billion dollars, undermining Prime Minister Albanese’s comments that online gambling isn’t the problem.

The Alliance for Gambling Reform’s Chief Advocate, Tim Costello said the Prime Minister has taken a chapter right out of the gambling industry’s playbook when he argued against a full ban on gambling advertising.

Nation’s gambling losses soar to $32 billion

Govt must make urgent reforms including gambling ad ban

15 Sept 2024

Australian’s gambling losses have soared to $32 billion. These new horrifying figures increase pressure on our political leaders to make urgent reforms to limit gambling harm including a total ban on gambling ads.

The new figures collated by Queensland Treasury found that national gambling losses for 2022/23 totalled $32 billion. Previously the only available loss figures were for 2018/19 which totalled $25 billion.

The average loss per Australian adult was $1,555 per year – up from $1,307 (18/19)

Costello seeks urgent PM meeting after being misrepresented as a gambling ‘prohibitionist’

12 Sept 2024

The Alliance’s Chief Advocate, Tim Costello, has sought an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister after Mr Albanese appeared to wrongly label him a gambling prohibitionist in the national parliament yesterday.

Mr Costello is also urging Mr Albanese to meet face to face with Mark Kempster who has spoken out bravely and powerfully of his experience in losing $100,000s to online gambling.

Campaign to end gambling ads targets footy finals

Marginal seat ‘swarm’ to pressure Albanese Govt to act to protect our kids

6 Sept 2024

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has launched a ‘swarm’ campaign targeting three key ALP seats in Sydney coinciding with the football finals, in an effort to increase pressure for a full gambling ad ban.

The online, text and advertising campaign will include sending texts during the Paramatta Eels NRL game on Friday and AFL football finals involving GWS and Sydney on Saturday afternoon.

Seven and Nine targeted in campaign to stop gambling ads

Deadline to register for the campaign is September 3

29 Aug 2024

A new shareholder activism campaign has been launched that targets media companies Nine Entertainment and Seven West in an effort to stop them taking adverts from gambling companies.

But the deadline to be involved in the campaign (Sept 3) is fast approaching.

Seven and Nine targeted in campaign to stop gambling ads

Shareholder activism aims to pressure Boards to act

14 Aug 2024

A new shareholder activism campaign has been launched that targets media companies Nine Entertainment and Seven West in an effort to stop them taking advertisements from gambling companies.

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has joined forces with activist share trading platform SIX to use investor power to stop gambling ads at Australia’s big media companies.

Powerful alliance throws weight behind gambling ad ban

10 Aug 2024

A powerful alliance of former prime ministers and premiers, MPs, union leaders, sport, business, health, union and faith figures, academics, writers, social justice advocates and social service groups have called on the Federal Government and the Opposition to commit to banning all gambling advertising within three years.

Reports Fed Govt will reject gambling ad ban ‘bitterly disappointing’

But a crackdown on social media ads will help protect our kids

4 Aug 2024

Media reports the Federal Government’s will not honour the recommendations of the Murphy report by rejecting recommendations to impose a phased-in ban on all gambling advertising is ‘bitterly disappointing’.

But the Alliance has welcomed a potential crackdown on social media gambling advertising as ‘significant’ and again urged the government to implement all 31 recommendations of the Murphy Report.

Alliance announces the appointment of a new CEO

30 July 2024

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has announced the appointment of Martin Thomas as its new Chief Executive Officer.

The Alliance’s Board Chair, Sharon Dickson, announced the appointment of Mr Thomas after an extensive, nation-wide recruitment process. Mr Thomas has been working as Interim CEO for the last few months

Gambling industry makes almost half its revenue from just 12% of all gamblers

New data shows industry preys on those who can’t afford their losses

30 July 2024

Gamblers experiencing the highest level of harms in Australia represent just over 12% of gamblers but contribute almost half of all gambling revenue according to new data that underscores how the gambling industry preys on people who can least afford it.

“We have long known that the predatory gambling industry does all it can to keep people who are ‘losing big’ to keep on betting, this new data shows just how cynical and ruthless is the industry’s business model,” the CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Martin Thomas, said.

Victoria’s record $3.03b in annual poker machines losses underscores urgency of reform

26 July 2024

Victoria has recorded a new, all-time record high in poker machine losses with an annual total loss of $3.03 billion.

“It has been more than a year now since the State Government promised to introduce sweeping reforms that were touted as Australia’s strongest gambling harm reduction laws and we are still waiting,” the Chief Advocate for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Tim Costello, said.

Gambling ads must not feature in Olympic coverage

Let’s go higher, stronger, faster… without the odds

25 July 2024

The Olympics broadcaster, the Nine Network, is on notice not to breach the advertising code by running gambling ads during its free-to-air and online coverage of the Paris games.

Last Olympics the then broadcaster Seven aired 49 betting promotions during its Olympic coverage on its Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide broadcasts. Seven was also found to have made gambling advertisements available on its live stream of the Olympics

35,000 sign petition to end gambling ads

Reflects white-hot community anger at proliferation of gambling ads

11 July 2024

More than 35,000 people have signed a petition created by the Alliance for Gambling Reform calling for the Federal Government to ban all gambling advertising.

The petition has 35,243 signatures and the Alliance is now urgently calling for more people to sign up in order to pressure the Federal Government to adopt all 31 recommendations of the Murphy Report which include a phased-in, 3-year ban on all gambling advertising.

Online inducements leading to riskier gambling

Betting companies exploiting loophole, targeting people in debt

9 July 2024

Betting companies are taking advantage of weak advertising and consumer protection laws to offer inducements that encourage riskier bets and are cynically targeting people with gambling problems through tailored, personalised marketing.

Review of flawed community grants scheme applauded

Vic clubs rorting of loophole has to stop

2 July 2024

The State Government will review the Victorian Community Benefits Scheme after analysis released by The Alliance revealed clubs across the state were granting themselves an average of 77% of all the ‘community’ grants’ they made.

Govt must act now and ban gambling advertising

One-year anniversary of Murphy Report time to act

28 June 2024

The Alliance for Gambling Reform believes the Federal Government has had enough time to consider the recommendations of a parliamentary committee into online gambling and must now move immediately to implement all 31 recommendations of Murphy Report.

The government received the parliamentary report, chaired by Labor MP, Peta Murphy, exactly 12 months ago today and is still yet to deliver its response.

Explosion in sports betting puts a generation at risk

Up to 1 in 5 young sports bettors now have a gambling problem

25 June 2024

The number of people betting on sports has exploded, doubling in just five years with more than one third of all spending on sports betting now coming from people with a gambling problem, according to new research.

More than a quarter of all men aged 18-24 and a third of men aged 25-34 now bet on sport. Young men are most at risk of falling into problem gambling – with close to 1 in 5 (17.5%) 18-24 year-olds who bet on sports, already defined as having a gambling problem.

Vic Clubs give 77% of ‘community’ grants to themselves

Rorting of loophole makes mockery of benefits scheme

18 June 2024

Clubs across Victoria are rorting a scheme, which aims to offset the financial harm of pokies, by giving an average of 77% of all the ‘community’ grants’ they make to themselves.

The rorting means they are not only robbing the community of critical funding but also receiving a tax deduction by doing so.

Federal Govt must take urgent action after another ‘horrendous’ casino failure

Adelaide Casino $67m fine welcomed

7 June 2024

The $67 million fine imposed on Adelaide’s SkyCity Casino in a money laundering case is just another chapter in an appalling litany of failures by casino’s across the country and highlights the need for urgent Federal Government action.

Vic gambling harm reforms applauded

But action still lagging on critical mandatory pre-commitment system

30 May 2024

The proposed changes outlined in the VRGF Repeal and Advisory Councils Bill 2024 before the Victorian parliament have been welcomed by The Alliance for Gambling Reform.

The Alliance for Gambling Reform, CEO Carol Bennett said the proposal to disband the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation (VRGF) being debated in the Victorian parliament this week were a step in the right direction.

AFL must do more than ‘virtue signalling’ on gender-based violence

3 May 2024

The AFL is acting hypocritically in taking a minute’s silence at all its games this weekend to highlight gender-based violence while still taking millions of dollars from gambling agencies – when gambling is known to make domestic violence more frequent and more severe.

Inexcusable clubs’ data breach spotlights need for cashless gambling card

2 May 2024

The data breach by a string of NSW and ACT Clubs is inexcusable and damaging and would have been avoided by a centralised, secure universal cashless gambling card system, the Alliance for Gambling Reform CEO Carol Bennett, says.

Predatory gambling ads must be part of nation’s online safety regime

17 Apr 2024

The Federal Government must urgently act to close a loophole that excludes predatory online gambling advertising targeting children from being included in the nation’s basic online safety code.

Under current definitions the nation’s Basic Online Safety Expectations (BOSE) gambling advertising is not included among online harms such as hate speech, cyber-bullying and child sexual exploitation.

“The warp-speed growth of online gambling advertising – particularly targeting children and young people – means the government must act urgently to update its actions to protect people online,” the chief executive of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, said.

Departing CEO praised for gambling reform achievements

8 Apr 2024

The Chair of the Alliance for Gambling Reform has praised the achievements of its chief executive, Carol Bennett, in putting gambling harm ‘front and centre’ of the nation’s conscience.

Ms Bennett has this week announced her plans to leave the organisation, saying she was proud of what she was able to achieve in the two and half years in the role.

“Carol has worked tirelessly and successfully to highlight the terrible damage Australia’s gambling epidemic is inflicting on people, families and communities across the nation,” Alliance board chair, Sharon Dickson, said.

“Under Carol’s leadership and the work of Tim Costello, the board, staff and our supporters, AGR has been very successful in delivering real progress for gambling reform in Australia.”

ACT carded gambling a gamechanger to cut gambling harm

Staggering $1.2b lost by Territorians over last decade

27 Mar 2024

The introduction of a mandatory pre-commitment carded gambling system in the ACT would be groundbreaking in reducing gambling harm and placing some limit on the predatory behaviour of a gambling industry that has cost Territorian’s more than $1.2 billion in losses over the last decade.

The chief executive of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, said the ACT suffered staggering gambling losses which continued to spiral.

“For a small jurisdiction of under 500,000 people, gambling losses in the ACT are both staggering and tragic. Some $188m in losses were suffered in the last year – equating to an eye-watering $16m every month,” Ms Bennett said.

Crown reprieve must be ‘last chance saloon’

Bolstered regulation and big fines have helped protect casino consumers and reduce gambling harm

26 Mar 2024

The operators of Melbourne’s Crown Casino are now ‘on notice’ that there must not be any further breach of its licence, after it received another reprieve by the State’s casino regulator.

The chief executive of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, said Crown should make no mistake that it is ‘the last chance saloon’ for them to get their operations right and to protect consumers.

‘Commercial sensitivities’ bizarrely stop Fed. Govt. reporting on gambling harm efforts

13 Mar 2024

Gambling harm is a major public health issue in Australia and yet is beggars belief that the Federal Government doesn’t report on its expenditure to tackle gambling harm due to “commercial sensitivities”.

The CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, said the bizarre situation demonstrated the power of the gambling industry and how it has captured government.

“We know investment into preventing and reducing gambling harm at a federal level is grossly lacking, but the lack of transparency on just how little the government invests in this critical public health issue is both disturbing and farcical,” Ms Bennett said.

Submission to inquiry into Parliament House Lobbyists - Lobbyist controls: ‘toothless and opaque’ -
Flaws in system allowing powerful interests undue influence

8 Mar 2024

The system that governs lobbyists’ access to our Federal parliamentarians is toothless, opaque and excludes an estimated 80% of lobbyists in Canberra, according to the Alliance’s submission to the Inquiry into Access to Parliament House by Lobbyists.

The CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, said she was concerned that powerful vested interests from the gambling industry, and their allies, were having “a growing and potentially insidious influence in the corridors of government”.

Time to honour Peta Murphy and commit to real gambling reforms - Australian voters want end to the carnage caused by gambling that adds to cost of living pain

3 Mar 2024

The voters of Dunkley have honoured Peta Murphy’s legacy by electing a Labor candidate, now it’s time for the Albanese Government to do the same and accept all of the recommendations of the online gambling inquiry that she fought so hard to deliver, even in her last days.

“Certainly, the cost of living was a critical issue in this by-election but so was the white-hot anger in the community about the unchecked power of the gambling industry and the damage it is causing families, especially those doing it tough who are so cynically targeted by gambling companies,” the Alliance for Gambling Reform chief advocate Tim Costello.

Fed Govt must strengthen limp NT online gambling laws - New NT laws fail to protect communities from rapacious foreign operators

20 Mar 2024

The Federal Government should step in to stop the Northern Territory government continuing to offer a tax haven to multi-billion-dollar foreign online gambling operators. It makes no sense for the Northern Territory government to effectively be the online gambling regulator for the nation.

Christmas a trigger for spike in gambling - Urgent plea for Prime Minister to act on gambling reforms

20 Dec 2023

The festive season is ‘a trigger’ for a spike in gambling, increasing the financial toll and stress many families will experience this Christmas, according to the CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett.

“All the research tells us gambling increases in times of economic hardship and Christmas time brings financial stress, family tension, loneliness, additional free time … all of these are triggers for gambling,” Ms Bennett said.

Alarming loopholes in gambling credit ‘ban’ - Gambling lobbyists hold sway over our politicians

7 Dec 2023

The gambling lobby’s influence is clear in the ‘watered-down’ bill to ban gambling on credit passed by the Senate, the CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, said.

And it is profoundly telling that the Albanese Government and opposition would not contemplate an amendment from independent Senator David Pocock to the bill that would stop political parties from receiving political donations from gambling interests – when it accepted similar prohibitions on tobacco only earlier this week, she said.

Gambling lobby ‘bets big’ on lobbyists - Industry spends more than double any other harmful industry to sway our politicians.

6 Dec 2023

The gambling industry hires the most lobbying firms across Australia, more than double that of any other harmful product industry according to new analysis of the Federal lobbyist register.

It reveals that the gambling industry has access to up to 280 lobbyists seeking to influence our Federal political leaders.

Tribute to Peta Murphy, a gambling reform champion

4 Dec 2023

The Alliance for Gambling Reform is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Federal MP for Dunkley Peta Murphy.

“We’ve lost a real champion for gambling reform,” the CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, said.

New poll: 70% of Australians want gambling ad ban - Compelling results Albanese government can’t ignore

4 Dec 2023

More than 70% of Australians believe there is too much gambling advertising in sport and want it to be banned, according to new polling released by the Alliance for Gambling Reform.

The polling, which involved 1,004 people aged over 18 years, showed 77.6% believed there was too much gambling advertising in sport, while 71.3% thought gambling advertising should be banned from sport completely.

Vic Govt must act on gambling harm blueprint - State’s $7.5b gambling losses are devastating communities

28 Nov 2023

The Victorian Government must immediately adopt all 61 recommendations of a parliamentary inquiry which has detailed a comprehensive blueprint to dramatically cut gambling harm across the State.

The Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) report, published today, details a raft of recommendations including the consideration of setting gambling loss limits, reducing the number of poker machines in the State and imposing greater restrictions on gambling advertising.

PM must review the ministerial code of conduct to help ensure public interest is put ahead of gambling industry interests

13 Nov 2023

The Prime Minister must consider urgent changes to his Ministerial Code of Conduct in the wake of more revelations that gambling industry paid for lavish hospitality of Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland.

Cashless card trial expansion to cause more delays - Gambling industry ‘in control’ of sham poker machine trial

10 Nov 2023

The expansion of the NSW Government’s needless cashless card poker machine trial will lead to even more delays in its completion and play into the gambling industry’s hands by stalling critical gambling reforms, the CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, said.

“Premier Chris Minns should immediately scrap his needless trial of a gambling cashless card and introduce the card now, in the wake of new figures showing NSW suffered a record $8 billion in poker machine losses last financial year,” Ms Bennett said.

Over 20 advocates and researchers call for urgent privacy reform - Stronger laws will protect people from data breaches and misuse

25 Oct 2023

Over 20 advocates and researchers are calling on the government to urgently implement major reforms to the Privacy Act in a joint open letter released today.

The signatories, which include leading experts on privacy and assistance services working with affected people, support urgent reforms to Australia’s outdated privacy legislation to protect people from data breaches and misuse.

$8b in NSW poker machine losses demands action - Government’s sham cashless card trial still yet to start

20 Oct 2023

NSW Premier Chris Minns should immediately scrap his needless trial of a gambling cashless card and introduce the card now, in the wake of new figures showing the State suffered a record $8 billion in poker machine losses last financial year.

The record loss figures affirms past evidence that spikes in gambling losses occur during times of financial stress and hardship.

The Alliance for Gambling Reform’s Chief Advocate, Rev. Tim Costello, said Premier Minns could assist families hard hit by the cost-of-living crisis by immediately introducing a mandatory, pre-commitment gambling card.

Lottery exemption from credit gambling ban a mistake that will cause harm

12 Oct 2023

The move to exempt lotteries from the credit card ban on gambling is disappointing and reflects the Federal Government’s failure to understand the nature and experience of gambling harm, the Alliance for Gambling Reform, CEO, Carol Bennett said.

Ms Bennett said, “Some lotteries, including games like KenoGO, offer people the chance to win millions of dollars every few minutes.  They run hundreds of games a day, creating the potential to cause great harm.  This harm will be exacerbated as lotteries increasingly move online.”

Poker machine losses surge to a staggering, all-time high of $14.5billion

9 Oct 2023

Poker machine losses in pubs and clubs across five States surged last financial year to $14.54 billion, easily eclipsing the losses suffered in 2018-19, the last full financial year uninterrupted by COVID restrictions.

The States that suffered the biggest spikes in losses were South Australia (up 34.6%), Queensland (up 33.6%) and New South Wales (up 23.7%). Victoria suffered an increase in losses of 12%.

The figures were collated for the Alliance by the Gambling and Social Determinants Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University show that the $14.5b in losses was 13.7% higher than 2018-19 the last full financial year not be impacted by COVID restrictions.

New analysis shows superfunds investing billions in gambling stocks

4 Oct 2023

One major Australian industry super fund - which boasts one million members and which promotes itself as a responsible investor - holds more than $351 million in gambling-relating equities, according to new analysis by the Alliance for Gambling Reform.

Superfunds investing billions in gambling stocks
Disclosure regime ‘patently inadequate’ to hold funds accountable

30 Sept 2023

One major Australian industry super fund - which boasts one million members and which promotes itself as a responsible investor - holds more than $351 million in gambling-relating equities, according to new analysis by the Alliance for Gambling Reform.

Privacy reforms highlight need to protect children from harmful product marketing

29 Sept 2023

Joint Media release from Foundation for Alcohol and Research (FARE), the Alliance for Gambling Reform, and Food for Health Alliance: Public health organisations have welcomed the Federal Government's acknowledgement that more needs to be done to protect children through the ongoing Privacy Act Review, and look forward to opportunities to engage further in the detail relating to how we can best keep children safe online.

New study shows alarming rates of gambling-related suicide - Findings spark urgent call for government action

12 Sept 2023

Federal and State Governments must introduce significant gambling harm reforms in the wake of new research that indicates a significant percentage of suicides across Australia are related to gambling.

Call to delay govt response to gambling ad ban

22 Aug 2023

The Federal Government must delay consideration of a raft of online gambling reforms – including a total ban on gambling advertising – until after the constitutional referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

The Alliance for Gambling Reform’s Chief Advocate, Rev. Tim Costello, said television executives, who are bitterly opposed to a gambling advertising ban, could use their support or opposition to the Indigenous Voice to parliament as a bargaining chip.

Gambling-ad-free Matilda coverage ‘a revelation’ - World Cup shows why banning gambling ads is vital

16 Aug 2023

Media coverage of the Matilda’s World Cup exploits - which have been largely absent of gambling advertising - shows how the major sporting codes can thrive without bombarding fans with gambling ads.

Victoria’s record $3b in annual poker machines losses underscores urgency of reform

28 July 2023

The Andrews Government must fast-track its crackdown on poker machine operators after new figures show the State has suffered record annual losses of $3.021 billion.

The Chief Executive of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, said while many of the Government’s proposed reforms to poker machines were welcome, there was no clear timeline for implementation.

Vic poker machine reforms applauded “significant and meaningful” - Changes now put spotlight on NSW to do more to reduce gambling harm

16 July 2023

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has welcomed the changes to poker machine regulation in Victoria, declaring they will make a significant difference in reducing gambling harm in the State.

The Chief Advocate of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Rev. Tim Costello, said Victorians have waited a very long time for meaningful and significant reforms such as this.

“These reforms appear to be very significant, especially the introduction of mandatory carded play with load up limit per time of no more than $100,” Rev. Costello said.

Alcohol, gambling and unhealthy food companies bombard families with ads during State of Origin

12 July 2023

Public health groups are calling for an end to harmful marketing in sport as a new analysis shows a quarter of sponsorships of the 2023 State of Origin are by companies that profit from alcohol, gambling and unhealthy foods.

The analysis by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) found 16 harmful product sponsorships of the NSW and Queensland State of Origin Teams and the Series, including seven alcohol company sponsorships, seven unhealthy food and two gambling company sponsorships – 25 per cent of all sponsors.

BetStop self-exclusion scheme will reduce gambling harm - Long overdue but will protect people from a predatory industry

9 July 2023

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has welcomed the national self-exclusion register, BetStop, as a long-overdue gambling harm reduction initiative.

“For far too long Australia has had an ineffective, patchwork of self-exclusion programs that have been poorly enforced. It has allowed the predatory gambling industry to continue to offer unethical inducements to people who have said they wanted to stop gambling” the Chief Executive of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, said.

Political leaders must support blanket ban on gambling advertising - ‘Watershed’ committee recommendations must get bipartisan backing

28 June 2023

The Federal Government and the Opposition must commit to give bipartisan support to the recommendations of a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling that has called for a blanket ban to sports gambling implemented over three years.

The Chief Advocate of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Rev. Tim Costello, said he also welcomed the call for a national strategy to combat gambling harm and the introduction of an online gambling regulator and ombudsman.

NT must stop applications for more poker machines - ‘Modest’ lowering of poker machine cap welcomed

6 June 2023

The Northern Territory Government must reject applications for 20 more poker machines to be introduced into Alice Springs if it is serious about tackling gambling harm and the concerns of the local community.

The chief executive of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, said she welcomed the modest lowering of the cap on the number of poker machines in Alice Springs.

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.

$450m Crown fine would fund 10 years of gambling harm reduction - AUSTRAC action underscores need for a national gambling regulator

30 May 2023

The record $450m AUSTRAC fine against Crown Casinos could fund more than a decade of critically lacking gambling harm reduction measures and support services, the chief executive of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, says.

Ms Bennett applauded the fine against Crown for money laundering, arguing it was a watershed moment that highlighted the value of a national regulator with teeth.

Bill to ban gambling ads on broadcasting platforms applauded - But ban must also be extended to ban social media platforms

22 May 2023

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has applauded a private member’s bill by Federal MP Zoe Daniel that would ban the broadcasting of gambling advertisements on television, radio and streaming services.

The CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, said the bill demonstrated political leadership that she hoped the Federal Government would heed as it considers reform in light of its inquiry into online gambling that is due to report soon.

Dutton puts sports gambling advertising crisis in the national spotlight - Both parties must move toward a total ban to protect our kids

12 May 2023

Opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has rightly put a national spotlight on Australia’s sports gambling advertising crisis but his proposal for hour-long bans before and after live sport do not go far enough

Push to ‘keep Molonglo pokie-free’ is a game changer - Community campaign to reduce access to gambling is welcomed

2 May 2023

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has welcomed a proposal to keep Canberra’s Molonglo Valley free of poker machines - commending it as an important way of protecting the community from some of the harms associated with gambling.

The campaign was launched by Canberra MLA, Dr Marisa Paterson today.

The Alliance Chief Executive, Carol Bennett, said the proposed pokies free zone showed political leadership and was a stark contrast to the ongoing lack of meaningful action across the Australian political landscape.

Urgent national action critical to combat gambling harm

2 May 2023

There is an urgent and critical need for Federal, State and Territory Governments to take urgent and critical action to combat gambling harm in Australia which is a hidden epidemic, a major symposium on gambling harm has heard.

The gambling epidemic in Australia costs individuals, families, and communities more than $25 billion annually – the highest per capita in the world.

Only total ban on gambling advertising will protect our children

1 May 2023

Only a complete ban on gambling advertising will protect children from being directly targeted by the gambling industry, a major conference on preventing gambling harm has heard today.

Banning use of credit for online gambling welcomed
but more needs to be done to tackle Australia’s gambling epidemic.

28 Apr 2023

Government plans to ban the use of credit for online gambling are welcome and will make a real difference in reducing the level of gambling harm in Australia. Hopefully, these long-overdue changes will be the start of real gambling reform in Australia, the CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett says.

The Alliance has advocated for the ban on credit for online gambling arguing that existing laws to prohibit gambling on credit are a ‘Swiss cheese’ of loopholes and exceptions allowing too many Australians to drown in debt, often offered at very high interest rates.

Protecting the vulnerable and ensuring outcomes: why standards are important for alcohol and other drug and gambling services

26 Apr 2023

Around 200 people from the alcohol and other drugs (AOD) and gambling services sectors are attending an online event being hosted by the Australian Alcohol and other Drugs Council (AADC) and Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR) today to talk about the importance of implementing formal standards for services. The event comes in the wake of several high-profile cases across the country where clients were harmed by unregulated services.

Pressure for gambling reform now greater than ever in our history - Australians furious at the tsunami of betting ads swamping our screens.

16 Apr 2023

The momentum for gambling reform is now greater than at any other time in Australian history, according to one of the nation’s most prominent and longest advocates for change, Rev Tim Costello.

The momentum for gambling reform is now greater than at any other time in Australian history, according to one of the nation’s most prominent and longest advocates for change, Rev Tim Costello.

Rev. Costello, who is the Alliance for Gambling Reform’s Chief Advocate, said the March NSW election was a watershed in which gambling reform was for the first time a central policy issue. The Federal Parliamentary inquiry into online gambling is also shedding new light on the depth of Australia’s gambling problem and the greed and ruthlessness of the gambling industry.

The national gambling self-exclusion register is still not happening -
After years of inaction, Federal Government needs to take urgent action

10 Apr 2023

The long awaited, long-overdue national gambling self-exclusion register is still not happening
despite years of promises, and it appears no closer to becoming a reality, the Alliance for Gambling
Reform chief executive, Carol Bennett, says.

Gambling industry practices revealed as ‘morally bankrupt’ - Operators stop those who win and offer inducements to those who lose money.

5 Apr 2023

The morally bankrupt practices of online gambling operators have been exposed at a parliamentary hearing that highlights the critical need for national leadership and regulation to curb the significant harm gambling causes in the Australian community.

Congratulations to the ALP election results show gambling reform is a pressing issue in NSW

26 Mar 2023

Premier-elect Chris Minns and his team are to be commended for leading the ALP to victory after 12 years in opposition. We wish him and his team well as the new government of NSW.

Laws to stop gambling on credit a ‘Swiss cheese’ of loopholes -
Young Australian’s racking up huge debt to gamble online in record numbers

13 Mar 2023

Laws to prohibit gambling on credit are a ‘Swiss cheese’ of loop holes and exceptions that are allowing too many Australians to drown in debt, offered at very high interest rates.

The problem is particularly acute among young people who are ruthlessly targeted by online gambling companies and who are more likely to revert to credit to continue to gamble. Evidence shows young men (18-24) are the most prolific online gamblers and online is the fastest growing form of gambling in Australia.

‘Blinkered’ decision to hold government-sponsored health jobs summit at casino condemned

2 Mar 2023

Gambling reform advocates have condemned the decision to hold a Victorian Government-sponsored health jobs fair at Crown Casino, warning it highlights how blinkered our political leaders are to the massive health impact caused by gambling.

Banning gambling political donations not enough to curb ‘unfair’ and ‘privileged’ access to government ministers

1 Mar 2023

Banning political donations from the gambling industry is not enough to close loopholes that allow gambling executives ‘unfair’ and ‘privileged’ access to ministers who regulate the sector, according to the Alliance for Gambling Reform.

Facial recognition tech has been exploited to increase gambling losses
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Industry’s touted panacea for gambling harm, inferior to cashless gambling card

28 Feb 2023

Facial Recognition Technology (FRT), which the gambling industry is heralding as a key harm minimisation tool, has been used internationally to actually increase losses and boost time spent on poker machines.

Facebook and Instagram are bombarding young people with targeted alcohol, gambling and unhealthy food ads

21 Feb 2023

Facebook and Instagram are bombarding young people with targeted ads for alcohol, gambling and unhealthy food, new data shows, prompting calls for reform to protect young people from harmful digital marketing.

Gambling and alcohol lobby plough $2.165 million into political parties, up 40% from previous year

1 Feb 2023

Alcohol and gambling companies and their lobby groups donated $2.165 million to Australia’s major political parties in 2021-22 representing a 40 per cent increase on the previous year, an analysis of disclosure returns published today by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) shows.

Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) CEO Caterina Giorgi and Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR) CEO Carol Bennett jointly called for political donations by alcohol and gambling companies to be banned to ensure that community views are prioritised in policy discussions about proposed reforms that would affect them.

PM must act on minister conflicted by Sportsbet donations
Public can no longer have faith in Rowland presiding over gambling issues

9 Feb 2023

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has called on the Prime Minister to take immediate action against Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland, in the wake of evidence that Sportsbet donated almost $19,000 to her on the eve of the last election.

The Alliance’s Chief Advocate, Tim Costello, said the public could no longer have faith that Rowland can effectively carry out her responsibilities as a key decision-maker on policies affecting Sportsbet as the minister who oversees the Interactive Gambling Act and the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Perrottet’s poker machines reforms a watershed
Minns can still show leadership and back cashless card

6 Feb 2023

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has applauded the poker machine reforms outlined by Premier Perrottet, arguing they represent a watershed moment in harm minimisation.

“These reforms unveiled by Premier Perrottet today are the most significant and wide-ranging poker machine reforms that I have seen in more than 30 years of campaigning to limit gambling harm in communities across Australia, the Chief Advocate of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Tim Costello, said.

Gambling industry’s $10m fighting fund to scuttle reform ‘obscene’ - Alliance urgently needs funds to win poker machine reform fight

3 Feb 2023

The not-for-profit agency at the centre of a “David vs Goliath” battle for poker machine reform in NSW has criticised as ‘obscene’ reports the gambling industry has amassed a $10 million fighting fund to stop changes to reduce gambling harm and to stop billions of dollars from the proceeds of crime being fed into poker machines across NSW.

The Alliance for Gambling Reform, the leading advocate for gambling reform, has also condemned revelations that the gambling and alcohol lobby boosted its political donations by 40% last year to give $2.1.m to political parties – in order to buy influence and stall real gambling reform.

New paper sets out blueprint for cashless gambling card

31 Jan 2023

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has released a definitive position paper on the best model for a cashless gambling card, warning NSW now has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get poker machine reform right.

Misinformation, bullying and dirty-tricks campaign to stop gambling reform must be condemned - Call for NSW electoral commission to investigate

14 Dec 2022

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has condemned the campaign of dirty tricks, misinformation and bullying that has been launched in a desperate bid to stave off real reform of poker machines across NSW. The proposed reforms put forward by the NSW Crime Commission and various inquiries into the gambling industry promise to thwart money laundering and other crimes and significantly reduce gambling harm across our communities.

More than 430,000 children likely to be gambling - Australians bet 20% more online than any other country, new figures

5 Dec 2022

More than 430,000 Australian children are likely to be gambling with almost 40,000 categorised as risky gamblers and 14,400 categorised as problem gamblers, the CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Carol Bennett, says.

And the industry’s own figures show that Australians bet online 20% more than any other nation on the planet and the size of our online gambling market ranks third in the world (in actual dollars, not on a per capita basis).

Funding needed to strengthen the fight for gambling reform

28 Nov 2022


The nation’s leading gambling reform advocacy group, the Alliance for Gambling Reform, has launched a Giving Tuesday appeal for funding of its work to reduce gambling harm.

The Alliance is in a David vs Goliath battle against powerful gambling interests such as Clubs NSW to limit the damage being done in communities right across Australia. The current push by the Alliance for cashless gambling across Australia follows the NSW Crime Commission findings that billions of dollars from the proceeds of crime and money laundering were being poured into the State’s poker machines.

Pubs and clubs profiting from on-premise gambling
should meet the same requirements as casinos

18 Nov 2022

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has today
announced Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH) has been found to be
non-compliant at 80% of its 77 Victorian venues that offer gambling. ALH has not
been adhering to requirements aimed to reduce gambling harm.
Rev. Tim Costello said the findings are appalling and the maximum fine available, a
dismal $1.35 million, is a drop in the ocean for ALH who operate over 12,000 poker
machines across the country.

Submission to Federal online gambling inquiry

Call for a comprehensive national approach to gambling.
Australia is blind to its gambling addiction, governments are complicit

11 Nov 2022

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has called for a comprehensive national approach to combat gambling harm in Australia with losses at world-record levels, devastating families and communities and facilitating organised crime, fraud and money laundering.

In its submission to the Federal online gambling inquiry, the Alliance for Gambling Reform said the lack of effective regulation of gambling promotions, inducements, advertising and sponsorships has enabled Australian culture to be undermined by an industry encouraging and profiting from harmful gambling.

Record $120m Crown fine applauded

7 Nov 2022

The Alliance for Gambling Reform welcomes the maximum fine for Crown’s unethical
treatment of people at risk of, or experiencing gambling harm, following findings from the Royal Commission into Crown Melbourne.

The findings show that Crown breached its obligations a staggering 4.8 million times over 12
years. Many of these obligations were around ensuring people are not using the poker machines for long periods of time (over 18 hours).

Cashless card will combat money laundering, reduce harm

Alarming NSW Crime Commission findings demands urgent action

26 Oct 2022

The alarming findings of the NSW Crime Commission underscore the critical need for the NSW Government to urgently introduce a cashless gambling card across all its pubs, clubs and casinos the chief advocate for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Tim Costello, says.

Loophole allows poker machine betting 24 hours a day

Victoria’s mandatory closing hours circumvented, harm minimisation voided

18 Oct 2022

Mandatory closing hours for poker machine venues – aimed at minimising gambling harm – are being circumvented with big operators exploiting a loophole to stagger closing times across multiple venues to ensure gambling continues 24 hours a day, a new policy paper has revealed.

Cut max poker machine bets and slash gambling harm in ACT

Territory has country’s highest max bet, it can be the lowest, new paper says

11 Oct 2022

Poker machine losses in the ACT for those suffering gambling harm could be reduced up to 10-fold if the territory introduced maximum $1 bets to replace the current maximum bet which is among the highest in Australia.

Canberrans lose more than $143m a year on poker machines according to the latest available data (2021) and the evidence shows that the current $10 maximum bet per spin on poker machines dramatically increases gambling harm.

Qld Star Casino findings applauded
But Star unlikely to lose its licence, undermining real reform

6 Oct 2022

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has welcomed the recommendations from the Gotterson review that uncovered appalling failures at Star Casinos in Queensland.

The Alliance’s chief advocate, Tim Costello, said it was significant that 8 out of the 12 recommendations focused on harm minimisation recommendations. He also said the move to increase to $100m the penalty a regulator could impose on a Qld casino operator had rightly been brought into line with Victoria and NSW.

National inquiry into online gambling and its impacts warmly welcomed

15 Sept 2022

The Alliance for Gambling Reform welcomes the announcement today by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs announcing an inquiry into online gambling and its impacts.

Nation’s first cashless poker machine card to be applauded -
Tasmanian move will reduce harm and combat money laundering

15 Sept 2022

The Alliance for Gambling Reform has praised the Tasmanian Government’s move to introduce
a mandatory cashless card for all poker machines, hailing it as a significant move to reduce
harm and to combat money laundering.

Star casino findings underscores need for
national gambling regulator

13 Sept 2022

The Australian public can have no confidence in State Governments properly regulating
casinos, a fact highlighted by the latest inquiry which has found the Star Entertainment
Group unfit to hold its Sydney Casino licence.

Australia must establish a national gambling regulator -
New $11 billion annual poker machine losses show our ‘hidden epidemic’

5 Sept 2022

Australians lost more than $11.4 billion to poker machines in pubs and clubs across five states last year, according to the first comprehensive, national analysis of available loss figures which cements Australia as the world’s biggest losers to poker machines per person.

Call for moratorium on facial recognition technology use in alcohol and gambling venues across Australia

19 Aug 2022

Alarming potential to breach the privacy of people who are vulnerable.

Pubs, bars and casinos are using facial recognition technology (FRT) to monitor customers and
exclude those with addictions – despite warnings from human rights experts that these technologies violate privacy laws.

Queenslanders record big hike in poker machine losses

New loss figures revealed during Gambling Harm Awareness Week

20 July 2022

Queenslanders are losing big on poker machines, losing more than $250m a month, which represents a jump of up to 33% on losses compared to 12 months ago, the chief advocate for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Rev. Tim Costello, said.

Veterans’ suicide probe must focus on gambling harms

19 July 2022

Soldiers experience higher rates of gambling addictions and suicide; both are exacerbated by pokies in RSL Clubs

Victorian poker machine losses reach a staggering $66billion

30th anniversary marks a trail of gambling harm

17 July 2022

More than $66 billion has been lost through poker machines in Victoria since their introduction 30 years ago today.

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