Latest Media Release
Crown reprieve must be ‘last chance saloon’
Bolstered regulation and big fines have helped protect casino consumers and reduce gambling harm
26 March 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.
“We acknowledge that the State Government and the VGCCC has acted to protect consumers from the significant harm identified by the Royal Commission. They have improved lax regulation and been prepared to impose fines of hundreds of millions as appropriate to the breach of Crowns license,” Ms Bennett said. >>READ MORE
Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commision - Media Release 26 March 2024: Crown Melbourne Suitability Decision and Decision and Reasons for Decision
‘Commercial sensitivities’ bizarrely stop Fed. Govt. reporting on gambling harm efforts
13 March 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.
“The Federal Government is investing $737 million to fund various measures to protect Australians against the harm caused by tobacco and vaping products, there is an extremely strong argument that the same level of expenditure should be urgently devoted to reducing gambling harm.” >>READ MORE
Alliance in the news
Win for Crown Resorts as its Melbourne casino keeps state licence
The Age - 26 March 2024
Alliance for Gambling Reform chief executive Carol Bennett said while Crown’s transformation plan had been a step forward, the entire gambling sector should be subject to tougher rules, such as cashless gaming.
What we are seeking is that the standards that now apply to Crown will also apply to pubs and clubs across Victoria,” Bennett said.
“If that doesn’t happen, the problems we saw at Crown will shift into the community. We’re creating an uneven playing field.”
Calls grow for poker machine reforms after gambler takes own life
The Canberra Times - 19 March 2024
Canberra has the weakest regulation of any Australian state or territory, said Carol Bennett, who leads the Alliance for Gambling Reform.
It, alone of Australian jurisdictions, does not have all machines linked to each other in a network so that a gambler can't switch venues or machines to get round limits on spending.
Tasmania has just introduced such a pre-paid card system. It's also networked its machines so the system as a whole knows how much a gambler spends in a day - the system can monitor spending by each gambler. READ MORE
NT gambling laws ‘holding the country to ransom’
NTnews - 24 February 2024
The Northern Territory Government is rushing through weak, “watered down” regulations to sidestep the Federal Government’s expected response to a scathing report into online gambling. Alliance CEO Carol Bennett accused the Territory Government of being “drunk on gambling revenue”, with the new bill failing to address major flaws in online gambling regulations. “You need a regulator that has teeth and has the capacity to do the job properly — and that isn’t the Northern Territory.” She said. READ MORE
FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER
It is now eight months on from when Peta Murphy delivered her multiparty inquiry report into online gambling and we are still awaiting a response from the Federal government to the 31 unanimous recommendations. We remain hopeful that Peta’s parliamentary committee together with a large contingent of gambling reformers will be heard, with a full and comprehensive ban on gambling advertising among many other important reforms that have been neglected and are long overdue... READ MORE
On 28 November 2023. Alliance Chief Advocate Tim Costello and CEO Carol Bennett joined Zoe Daniel, Kate Chaney MP and mum Cecelia Aull and her daughter Annabelle at a press conference at Australian Parliament House in Canberra calling on the federal government to ban gambling ads. Will the Anthony Albanese government have the resolve to stare down the gambling industry and other vested interests to act in the best interest of the public?’
The Alliance as CEO Carol Bennett and Chief Advocate Tim Costello met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to discuss gambling harm in Australia.
Excellent meetings on Monday 8 August between Alliance CEO Carol Bennett and Chief Advocate Tim Costello and Rebekha Sharkie MP, Kate Chaney MP, Zoe Daniel, and David Pocock at Parliament House, Canberra. Great to see such support for gambling reform from our independents!
You win some, you lose more – online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm.
The Alliance’s response to the recommendations
The Alliance welcomes the long-awaited work of the Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs Report of the inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm.
The Alliance for Gambling Reform (The Alliance) has been concerned about the impact of gambling-like features in both computer games and phone apps for many years. It is not only one element of Australian children being groomed to become gamblers, but it is also being impacted by harm very similar and on-par with gambling harm due to loot boxes. There are a number of useful studies as well as international case studies that provide the Australian Government with the evidence it needs to go further when it comes to classifications of video games, and the Alliance would strongly urge the government to ensure this legislation includes phone apps. 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
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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.
Latest News
A surge of concern is sweeping across Australia.
The Alliance
6 Nov 2024
Fuelled by personal stories of addiction’s toll on families and com m unities, people are demanding change. Australians are acutely aware of gambling’s social costs. This growing sentiment signals to policy makers that the time for gam bling advertising reform is now.
With your continued endorsement and advocacy, we have the opportunity to:
🔹 Elevate the dialogue on this critical public health issue affecting millions of Australians
🔹Leverage your influence to protect vulnerable families and youth from predatory gambling advertising
🔹Use your respected voice to engage policy makers across party lines on an issue that clearly resonates with voters
🔹 Amplify our message in key electorates, strengthening the call for change
Should gambling be treated as a public health crisis by the Federal Government?
National Poll
4 Nov 2024
New international research reveals that gambling's impact on global health is more severe than once thought, with Australia leading in per capita losses. Over 80 million adults worldwide suffer from gambling-related issues.
This National Poll is asking you if treating gambling as a public health crisis could be the solution. The Alliance has developed a factsheet that will help you answer this question with confidence!
Nine must end its gambling ad addiction: Network’s lobbying to kill off gambling ad reform ‘shameful’
The Alliance
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.
“The evidence shows that every gambling ad is dangerous in luring people, especially children, into gambling. We banned tobacco advertising decades ago, we must ban gambling advertising today,” Rev. Costello said.
Alliance CEO Martin Thomas: This is a much bigger problem than a few free upgrades
The Alliance / Canberra Times
2 Nov 2024
Next time you are stuck at the back of the plane, no doubt you will recall the media storm that is now erupting around the Prime Minister for accepting, even requesting, free upgrades from Qantas.
The latest revelations about politicians receiving perks like free upgrades aren’t isolated; they reveal a much larger issue of corporate influence in Australian politics. Powerful industries—including big gambling, aviation, alcohol, and more—are showering our leaders with perks, hospitality, and donations, swaying critical decisions that impact us all.
A recent tool from The Alliance highlights this problem in real time: 32 parliamentarians accepted over 60 gifts, including tickets and hospitality, from gambling companies and racing clubs. Among them is Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, who oversees potential bans on gambling advertising. How can we trust policy decisions when they’re entangled with perks from the very industries seeking looser regulations?
Stand with The Alliance in demanding unbiased political decisions. Donate today for a fairer Australia.
Social harm on an industrial scale - Podcast with Our Community
Our Community
3 Nov 2024
The push to ban gambling advertising involves a campaign approach focused on winning broad public support. The Alliance is leading the effort, backed by powerful statistics such as those showing that losses from gambling reached $32 billion in 2023, up from $25 billion in 2019.
Alliance CEO Martin Thomas said the figures were alarming and represented “social harm on an industrial scale”.
Outrageous Tax Breaks for Gambling R&D on Govt Radar
The Age
1 Nov 2024
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is raising questions about tax breaks that subsidise gambling R&D—funding used to develop poker machines and gambling apps. In 2021-22 alone, Australian gambling companies claimed over $90 million in R&D expenses.
Chalmers labelled the tax breaks as “problematic,” signalling a closer review to ensure taxpayer funds don’t encourage gambling harm. The Alliance think 'problematic' is an understatement - 'Outrageous' is much more accurate. Surely this is a new low in how captured we are by big gambling in Australia.