Voices In The News

“I was exposed to [gambling] at quite a young age... it just did something to me when I placed that bet – it gave me what I needed.”

Alliance Voices for Gambling Reform Advocate Ed began gambling at just eight years old. What started with horse racing in his family grew into a hidden struggle that drove him to steal $1.8 million and landed him in prison. [Jump to 7:33].

Now, with betting apps always within reach, gambling is easier to hide than ever – even from parents.

“I think if someone's drunk through alcohol or someone's affected by drugs, it's... visible, whereas I could be walking down the street having lost a house on a betting app and no one would know.”

Gambling harm can be hard to spot at first, but its impact is devastating. We must expose the tactics that target kids and fight for real reform.

New national data confirms what many already know - gambling is out of control. Australians are losing over $32 billion every year - the highest per capita losses on the planet. In Queensland alone, more than 70% of adults gambled last year, the highest rate in the country.

Alliance Voices Advocate Mark Kempster says the answer is clear:
“We need to remove gambling advertising in all forms across Australia.”

This is a public health crisis, and it’s time for the government to act.

Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has slammed the government for being “100% too slow” to ban gambling ads, saying “we are normalising gambling for the younger generation.”

Khawaja joined doctors, MPs and experts at Parliament House, warning that linking gambling with sport sets “a very, very dangerous precedent.”

The Albanese government continues to delay responding to a major inquiry calling for a ban. Meanwhile, children are exposed daily.

It's time to put kids before industry profits.

For Mark Kempster, the 2020 AFL Grand Final was his turning point. “It was my rock bottom… I’d gone from a young bloke who loved sport, loved life, to someone who hated himself. And I still couldn’t stop.” He hasn’t placed a single bet since that night.

Now five years free from gambling, Mark – an Alliance Voices Advocate – dedicates his time to raising awareness and supporting others. He shares his story in schools, community events and media interviews, determined to reach young men before gambling takes hold. He also mentors dozens who have reached out after hearing his journey, offering hope and guidance through their own battles.

Alliance CEO Martin Thomas warns: “What we finding is there is a massive surge in sports betting, using your phone. All the advertising is trying to make it part of your peer group and socially acceptable. I think that’s probably driving the growth.”

Reflecting on his own experience, Mark says: “That’s how it gets you. Not all at once. Bit by bit, until you don’t even recognise yourself.”

“Kids were seeing more gambling ads on TV and social media than they were seeing points scored in the games.”

Alliance Voices Advocate Mark Kempster is calling out the gambling industry’s relentless targeting of young Australians, especially during major sporting events.

“These companies are trying to indoctrinate young Australians into gambling – making them feel like they need to bet on all sports to enjoy it.”

This is a public health crisis – and the government is still stalling on reform.

After years of gambling harm from apps, Mark Kempster hit rock bottom on AFL Grand Final day in 2020 - losing thousands in one sitting. His partner, the mother of his son, urged him to get help.

“That was the catalyst I needed to not lose her and my boy from my life,” he says. Working his way out of addiction took a lot of work, but he has never looked back.

Now an advocate with The Alliance, Mark is calling for urgent reform. We must treat gambling harm as the public health crisis it is.

Parliament heard heartbreaking stories of gambling harm — including from one of The Alliance’s Voices for Gambling Reform, whose brother died by suicide after struggling with gambling addiction.

Kate Chaney MP challenged the Prime Minister, asking if delays to the Murphy inquiry response are due to “successful lobbying by powerful interests.”

Anthony Albanese replied: “We have done more as a government than any government in Australia’s history since federation.”

Despite this, key recommendations remain unimplemented. Australians experiencing gambling harm are still being “bombarded by gambling adverts” while waiting for real reform.

Can you even picture it? They're are all-pervasive - on jerseys, on the TV between tackles and even on the field itself. The Alliance wants 2026 to be the first year where you can watch the finals without the gambling ads. Listen in as Alliance Voices Advocate Dylan shares his lived experience, and Alliance CEO Martin Thomas discusses the changes we want to see on ABC Radio National.

📣 Let’s keep the pressure on. Add your voice to protect kids from gambling harm - sign the petition today.

Former AFL champ joins call to make the 2026 Grand Final gambling ad-free

Former Bulldog’s Premiership player, Tom Boyd, has joined a major campaign calling on the AFL to make next year’s AFL Grand Final a gambling advertising free zone.

The Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR) and GetUp have today launched a campaign and petition urging the AFL to “kick gambling ads out of footy” — demanding that the biggest day in Australian sport be safe for kids and families.

As part of the campaign a mobile billboard will circle the MCG and Melbourne CBD throughout the Grand Final weekend festival, carrying the message: Kick gambling out of football”.

The Alliance has pulled its support for the Allan government’s cashless pokies trial, slamming it as a failure to deliver on promises to reduce gambling harm. The trial, set to launch in 43 venues, ditches mandatory loss limits—a key safeguard for people at risk.

“It is a complete waste of time to have a trial where the pre-commitment feature that could cap your losses is not mandatory,” said Chief Advocate Tim Costello. “Instead, it is opt-in – like having opt-in brakes on a car. We fear that the true motivation of this trial is to kick it into the long grass.”