But before a ball is kicked, our kids are facing a relentless barrage of betting ads.

Let's make Origin about the legendary rivalry, not a game hijacked by gambling ads.

Your EOFY donation can help us call time on this harm. #NRL #AllianceEOFY

With support from The Ross Trust, The Alliance’s Voices for Gambling Reform program is turning lived experience into powerful advocacy. Voices coordinator Maddy Thorpe said, “we have been able to support each person’s gradual progression, whether that be in providing feedback for submissions to government at all levels, or public advocacy… Our Voices have secured meetings with the Prime Minister's Office, been interviewed on prominent podcasts, and received extensive media coverage including ABC Radio National, The Project, and The Guardian.”

Advocate Mark Kempster has gone from struggling with gambling harm—losing over $100,000 through 10 different sports gambling apps—to testifying before Parliament and speaking out in the media. His transformation highlights the urgent need for reform.

Despite mounting evidence of harm, Australian governments remain reliant on revenue from poker machines. "Almost 30% of Victorians who play gaming machines experience gambling harm," said Former Victorian Gaming Minister Melissa Horne. Pokies prey on the most vulnerable, especially in disadvantaged areas. Yet governments rake in billions — with Victoria alone expecting nearly $3 billion from gambling in 2025-26. Western Australia proves it’s possible to thrive without pokies outside casinos. We must demand reform and protect our communities from this preventable harm.

PointsBet has been fined over $500,000 for sending hundreds of gambling ads to people who had chosen to block themselves via BetStop. “Spamming those people is like giving an alcoholic a bottle of whiskey,” said Dr Charles Livingstone. Alliance advocate Tim Costello added, “If America’s blind spot is guns, ours is gambling.” It’s time the government acted on its own inquiry and created a national gambling regulator.

Former NT Chief Minister Shane Stone joins John Howard in calling pokies a "grave social evil" plaguing Indigenous communities. With one machine for every 50 people in Alice Springs, the NT suffers more gambling harm per capita than any other state. Stone regrets not acting sooner: “If I’d had the courage of my convictions, I would have wound back the [poker machine] numbers.” The Alliance stands with those demanding bold action to cap pokies and stop governments from profiting off social misery. It's time to break the cycle.

Great letter to the editor by Janice Creenaune backing Victoria Devine’s call for urgent action on gambling ads. “Those most at risk are targeted,” she writes—a stark truth in a cost-of-living crisis. Gambling companies exploit vulnerability, and it’s time the PM delivers on promises to rein in this predatory industry.

Let’s protect families from gambling harm.