Voices In The News

"When I read Tim’s chapter in the book Brave; the silent suffering that had been my family's secret, danced across the pages with staggering clarity.

With magnanimity and resolve, Peta Murphy and Tim Costello have taken up guerrilla warfare against the gambling industry, who line the pockets of our state and federal governments and thank god.

Tim and Peta's fight has been fought, not for themselves, but for the Australian families, like mine, who lose every day.

A David and Goliath tale.

This is leadership. This is bravery. Vale Peta Murphy. "

You can buy A Time for Bravery from The Australia Institute here:

When Mitch Crum removed the last of five pokies from his Sydney pub, he expected relief - instead, he faced months of red tape, confusion and unexpected costs.

Voices Advocate Mark wishes it were easier, and is calling out the broader impact of pokies in our communities: "When I organise a social outing, I look for a venue without poker machines. Why should my friends, family, or their kids be exposed to a product designed to exploit them?
Every time a child sees gambling normalised, the trap is set a little deeper - and that's exactly what these companies are counting on. We wouldn't let our kids watch us smoke. Why do we let them watch us gamble?" It's time to support venues that want out.

Jacob shares how football betting, smartphone apps, constant access, and the illusion of control slowly rewired his relationship with money, sport, and himself. This conversation unpacks gambling addiction, compulsive betting behaviour, dopamine highs, and the early warning signs many people miss until it’s too late. Jacob remembers one day where everything went right - every bet won, every instinct paid off, and the high felt unbeatable. But that moment didn’t save him. It planted something deeper.

In this episode, he takes us from his first bets at football matches, through the rise of online gambling and smartphone access, to travelling the world in an attempt to escape it all. This is an honest, first-time-told story about how gambling creeps in quietly, and why winning can sometimes be the most dangerous part.

Now, as an Advocate with The Alliance’s Voices program, Jacob is speaking out to help others understand how gambling creeps in quietly - and why winning can be the most dangerous part.

🎙️ Watch on The AddictedRecovery Show with Daniel and Jacob

Mark Kempster, who hasn’t gambled in five years, is urging governments to protect the community from harmful gambling ads. Despite his recovery, the constant exposure to gambling advertising still affects him.

"This is about making it safer for people to gamble and not having it thrown in people's faces who are struggling," he told ABC Hobart.

He supports the push by Tasmanian MPs Kristie Johnston and Meg Webb to ban gambling ads in state-funded venues.

Alexandra Craig is taking on her first-ever half marathon to raise funds for The Alliance – pushing through every kilometre to fight gambling harm in Australia.

"I have never run a half marathon in my life. But this December, I am taking on a half marathon for a cause far bigger than myself."

You don’t have to be a runner to take a stand. Whether it's a run, a ride, a walk or a bake sale – your effort can help power real change.

Support Alex here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/running-against-the-odds

“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.”

"We’ve got to keep putting pressure on people. If you're as annoyed—and as worried—as I am, along with the 75% of Australians who consistently say in surveys that they don’t want these ads, then you need to speak to your local MPs. Put pressure on them to implement the Murphy Report. It had bipartisan support—one of the few inquiries to ever achieve that—so we just need to keep pushing. Let your local MPs know that we don’t want these advertisements on TV anymore. Hopefully then, the government will start to take us seriously."

Appearing on FIVEAA Mornings with Graeme Goodings, Alliance Advocate Mark Kempster slammed the government’s failure to act on the Murphy report—two years after its release.

Gambling harm cost Victoria over $14 billion in 2022–23. Pokies are driving the damage — two-thirds of losses came from those experiencing the most harm.

Louise* was just seven when she first noticed jewellery and household items disappearing from her home. Her mother was selling furniture and appliances to fund her gambling addiction. By the time Louise turned 14, the situation had reached a devastating turning point.

"I came home one day when I was 14 years old to find I didn't have a home anymore," said Louise, now an Alliance Voices Advocate. "We'd also go a few days at a time without much to eat."

Alliance CEO Martin Thomas said: “Everyone is being harmed here — not just the gamblers, but their families, workplaces, and the broader community. The government knows that mandatory carded play is the gold standard for reducing harm from gambling. It's time for Labor to put their foot down and demonstrate their progressive credentials, their commitment to social justice, and the people they represent."

Most Australians want gambling ads gone — and the Murphy Report lays out a 31-step plan to do just that. But two years on, the government still hasn’t responded. Why? According to The Alliance’s Chief Advocate Tim Costello: “It’s not the public that’s the problem here. It’s the vested interests.” Powerful players like the AFL, NRL, and big broadcasters are profiting — while children are exposed and harmed.

It's time to prioritise health over profit. The public is ready. The plan is ready. The delay must end.

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.

Alliance Voices Advocate Mark Kempster lost $100,000 to online gambling and knows firsthand the harm it causes. Now an advocate for change, he’s fighting for urgent reforms—including a total ban on gambling ads.

"Every day these ads stay on TV, people fall back into addiction." Mark says he’s even had to stop watching live sport to protect his mental health. He accuses the government of failing Australians by delaying action on the Murphy Report, despite the Prime Minister promising to honour the late MP’s legacy.

"He's just kicked the can down the road." The report, which includes over 30 recommendations, still hasn’t been tabled in Parliament—nearly two years after Mark gave evidence.

Alliance Voices Advocate, Nelson knows firsthand the impact of gambling harm on the Australian Chinese community. As an affected other he watched his community struggle with it since the day he was born. Now, Nelson does art installations that express that story.

In the Australian Chinese community poker machines are known as ‘tiger machines’, Nelson explained; "The term ‘tiger machine’ came from the translation of ‘poker machine’ in English. In Chinese, the characters are tiger and machine and for me that just really struck a chord because it emphasised the predatory nature of these machines, and of gambling.”

SBS Story: https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/en/podcast-episode/are-gambling-organisations-targeting-cald-communities/psvmjr4cb

The Alliance and Chief Advocate Tim Costello are spearheading a new Christmas campaign to hold the government accountable for tackling gambling ads. With Australia facing the world’s highest gambling losses per person, the harm is undeniable: families are devastated, domestic violence rates triple in homes affected by gambling, and children are exposed to relentless ads normalising gambling.

72% of Australians support a full gambling ad ban, echoing the late MP Peter Murphy’s courageous recommendations. Yet, despite bipartisan potential, PM Anthony Albanese has delayed action—leaving the issue unresolved and lives at risk.

Our advocate Mark Kempster has penned a powerful piece on the Tasmanian Government's handling of the Deloitte report into poker machines - released quietly before the Australia Day long weekend, with its recommendations ignored.

The report backed the "gold standard" in harm reduction: cashless pre-commitment cards that could cut gambling harm by a third and boost the economy by $230 million. So why the silence?

As Mark writes: "The gambling industry is a silent, powerful and insidious influence on our parliaments across Australia. They routinely donate more to the major political parties, they employ more lobbyists, and they 'entertain' more politicians than any other sector."

With Australians losing $32 billion to gambling every year and 600,000 underage teenagers now gambling, the stakes couldn't be higher.

Mark's message is clear: "The only way that things will change in Tasmania and across Australia is if voters speak out and tell their MPs that they are sick of the losses and social harm gambling is doing in their communities."

"I like myself." Jacob’s powerful words mark the turning point in a story of gambling harm. In Part 2 of The AddictedRecovery Show, Jacob shares how gambling took everything - his money, his relationships, his identity - and how recovery helped him slowly rebuild his life and self-worth.

His story shows life does get better. Jacob is now an advocate with The Alliance Voices for Gambling Reform.

Dylan is one of our Voices for Gambling Reform, sharing his powerful story to inspire change. Gambling cost Dylan a lot, in terms of both money and opportunities.

Now, he has quit gambling, and he's documenting the journey on TikTok and Instagram.

In this longer interview cut for the hack podcast, Dylan talks with Dave about the road that got him here.

He describes the clarifying moment when he placed his last bet, the daily battle to keep going in a world where gambling ads are everywhere, and what it's like to do it all so publicly

We must protect our kids – ban gambling ads, ban inducements, and implement the Murphy Report in full.

Follow Dylan’s journey on Instagram or TikTok at @nomorebets.au

Listen to Dylan speak up on ABC's Tripple J Hack:

Mark discusses the dark side of gambling marketing, its impact on the music industry, and the troubling lack of genuine support from politicians for communities affected by gambling harm.

His story sheds light on the real consequences Australians face and why we need stronger action to protect people from gambling harm.

The Alliance continues to fight for reform and support for those affected.

Mark started betting as a teenager and spent more than a decade trapped in the cycle of chasing his losses, lying to the people he loved, and slowly losing himself, almost costing him everything.

Now six years free from gambling, Mark’s fighting for systemic change with the Alliance for Gambling Reform to help others escape harm from this insidious industry.

“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.

Max, one of the Alliance’s Voices for Gambling Reform, lived through 25 painful years of gambling harm from poker machines. His story is one of devastation — but also of hope.

At his lowest, Max used pokies to escape depression: “I found life dull and boring in between gambling binges… I used the pokies to self-medicate depression.”

But recovery became possible through connection in local groups: “I laughed until I was crying. I hadn’t laughed like that since I was a teenager, 30 years before.” He credits a 12-step program and mental health support group Grow with giving him his life back. Now more than a decade free from gambling, Max is sharing his story to help others.

It’s now over two years since the “You Win Some, You Lose More” report called for urgent gambling reform. But the government still hasn’t acted on its most critical recommendation: a total ban on gambling advertising.

Alliance Voices Advocate Mark Kempster, who bravely gave evidence to the inquiry, says: “If the government think they’re doing enough, I can tell them right now they’re costing lives.” He describes feeling abandoned after years of advocacy.

Alliance CEO Martin Thomas says the inquiry was “a perfect blueprint”—but warns: “The government has a choice between vested interests and the majority of Australians.”

Enough delay. Gambling harm is rising.

Ban Gambling Ads: Two Years Since Murphy Report

Join The Alliance and others for a powerful panel marking two years since the Murphy Report. Over $50 billion lost to gambling—and still no reform. It's time to end gambling ads.

📅 Wed 26 June, 6–7:30pm
📍Balwyn Park Centre, VIC
🎥 Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/sMscAUR2pEI

Hear more from Rev Tim Costello, Kate Chaney MP, Samantha Thomas, Ron Issko, and hosts Monique Ryan and Zoe Daniel. Let’s demand change.

A Melbourne man says he was offered $25,000 by a gambling company—on the condition he withdraw a complaint, stay silent, and protect the company from bad press. Gordon Burns, 23, blew hundreds of thousands with no intervention from two gambling companies.

Alliance CEO Martin Thomas said: “It makes a mockery of the complaints system if this is the process that happens. Governments must do more to protect Australians.”

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.

Labor has reportedly shelved its plan to curb gambling ads until after the election, bowing to pressure from media, betting giants, and major sports leagues. This delay means more relentless gambling ads, more harm, and more lives at risk.

Alliance Voices Advocate Mark Kempster said: "This report in the SMH shows the Prime Minster is beholden to Peter V'landys and the gambling lobby in this country. He has turned his back on every vulnerable Australian like myself who are having their lives ruined on a daily basis by this insidious, predatory industry. He has also turned his back on former Labor MP Peta Murphy, who he promised to 'honour her legacy'. He hasn't even come close to doing that and should be ashamed."

Media Release: https://www.agr.org.au/agr-media-releases/no-action-is-the-worst-response-of-all-to-gambling-harm-

The government has shelved gambling reforms, ignoring overwhelming public support for action. Mark Kempster, an Alliance advocate, reflects on the harm caused: "An overwhelming majority in Australia don't want to see gambling ads on TV anymore."

Children as young as six now know the odds better than the players, while parents struggle to shield their families from the relentless advertising. "We're the first generation having to explain gambling terms like multis to primary school kids," says Kempster.

Despite an inquiry delivering clear recommendations eight months ago, vested interests continue to block reforms. It’s time to put community safety ahead of corporate profits.

The government has delayed long-awaited gambling ad reforms, admitting no revised timeline for responding to the 2022 Murphy report, which called for a total ban on gambling ads. Mark Kempster, an advocate with the Alliance, contacted the Communications Minister’s office this week, expressing his frustration:

“The effect the constant delays is having on all of us who gave evidence at Peta’s inquiry is taking a massive toll on us. To wait up to 20 months for any type of response and actions surely cannot be acceptable,” he said.

In reply, a staff member apologised, acknowledging the toll the inaction has caused but offering no clear timeline for reform.

Tim Costello added “It takes backbone to protect children in this nation against very powerful vested interests. The failure to show that backbone has let Australians down.”

Alliance Voices Advocate Mark Kempster joins ABC Mornings with David Reilly to unpack why mandatory pre-commitment is essential to stop people chasing losses - and why walking away from this reform is a failure for public health.

They also dive into the Deloitte report that clearly outlines the steps needed to reduce gambling harm.

Australia has the highest gambling losses per capita in the world - and it’s not even close. In the latest AddictedRecovery episode, Mark Kempster shares how he lost over $100,000 in a decade of gambling, trapped by apps, inducements, and relentless ads. Now recovered, Mark is an advocate for The Alliance's Voices for Gambling Reform program, helping others raise their voice for change. It’s time to end the cycle of harm and hold the system accountable.

Mark Kempster will share his lived experience at the upcoming webinar, Beating the Odds: Problem Gambling in Our Youth, hosted by The Kids Research Institute Australia.

The event explores the changing face of gambling in Australia and the steps being taken to help young people overcome gambling harm.

Attendees will gain insights from research, policy, and lived experience, and have the opportunity to join a Q&A with the panel.

Speakers include:
🎙️ MP Kate Chaney
🎙️ Dr Vincent Mancini
🎙️ Dr Krista Fisher
🎙️ Mark Kempster

📅 11 November

Victorian football clubs made $110.4 million from pokies in 2024/25 - while gambling harm continues to devastate lives.

Alliance CEO Tim Costello said:
"These footy clubs really have trashed their social licence... "It's complete hypocrisy, because we now know the extraordinary social damage of pokies.:

Alliance Voices Advocate Mark S added:
"I am disappointed to see that the AFL team that I support still has a connection to the pokies."

It's time for all clubs to put people before profit.

"I like to think about who she would be without the gambling, and I grieve that more so than I grieve who she is with the gambling."

Addictions and disorders don't happen in a vacuum. While one person is caught in the grip of gambling harm, loved ones are swept up in the devastation.

Edona, one of our Voices for Gambling Reform, shared her story of growing up with a mother consumed by poker machines. Left craving stability and connection, Edona lost the chance for a safe childhood and a close bond with her mum.

This is the reality for too many families.

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.”

Two years after a powerful inquiry led by the late Peta Murphy MP, not one of its 31 recommendations to reduce gambling harm has been implemented.

Alliance Chief Advocate Tim Costello says, "We have literally given our kids over to sports betting companies as fodder for their profits."

The government’s delay means more lives destroyed, more children groomed, and more profit for the gambling industry. It’s time for urgent reform.

👉 Join The Alliance in demanding action. Donate today.

It’s been two years since the Murphy Report — and the government has done nothing. Mark Kempster joined ABC’s Hack to expose the constant targeting by gambling companies:

"When they know you're a big gambler and they've got you on the hook, they'll send you so many different promotions. It's the same as if you were trying to get off cigarettes, and having someone walk in and offer you a cigarette every day, or every hour. You're not going to be able to get to a point where you can fix yourself because you just have it in your face so much."

We want Peta Murphy’s inquiry report fully implemented, including all 31 recommendations. That means banning gambling ads, banning inducements, and creating a National Regulator. ▶️⌚6m8s

“The latest research is showing that 85% want some form of restrictions on gambling advertising… even those who vent tell us they're so sick of the amount of ads.” – Martin Thomas, CEO of The Alliance

Despite this, the federal government remains silent. We're calling for a total ban on gambling ads—just like we did with tobacco. Too many are losing homes, lives, and futures. It's time to end this harm.

🎧 Listen to Alliance CEO Martin Thomas discuss this issue at length with Rob Cameron on Front Page.

The Alliance is calling out major flaws in Labor’s self-exclusion scheme, BetStop. "There’s gaps and holes in BetStop. Companies that are serious about evading the scheme can still do so," said Chief Advocate Tim Costello.

Loopholes let people keep gambling using alternate ID, while some companies ignore rules entirely. We’re demanding stronger enforcement, expansion to cover all gambling forms, and a public awareness campaign funded by gambling operators.

On Thursday the 13th of February, six Ladbrokes ads aired between 7PM and 8:30PM during Home and Away—a show with a large teenage audience. One of our Voices for Gambling Reform, who counted the ads, asked: "Why are we normalising gambling ads for young people?"

Current ACMA rules allow this because Home and Away is rated PG—but so is Frozen. Let that sink in. Just because it’s legal doesn’t make it right. This is why restrictions are not enough we need to #EndGamblingAds. It’s time to put community wellbeing ahead of gambling profits.

Right now, the gambling industry's lobbyists are working overtime to delay reform. We can't let them win.

Every day of delay means more families affected by gambling harm. More children exposed to predatory ads. More lives impacted.

Your donation will help us:

✔️ Keep pressure on politicians to act now
✔️ Counter the gambling industry's influence
✔️ Amplify the voices of those harmed by gambling

“Every day you delay action on these regulations is another day that another young Australian, or any Australian, falls into an addiction because of what we’re subjected to at the moment in the media.” – Mark Kempster

Mark Kempster, who lost $100,000 to gambling, is fighting for change. He describes the government’s refusal to act on a proposed phased ban on gambling ads as “ridiculous” and “disappointing.”

“We can’t watch sport. We can’t enjoy sport without having gambling advertising shoved down our throats,” says Mark. He adds: “Every week, I get a different young person in Australia messaging me [about gambling harm].”

Mark urges action: “I don’t want people to go through the issues I went through.”