States urged to go beyond Albanese's gambling reforms
Advocates are urging Australian states to strengthen gambling reforms beyond federal measures, citing concerns over $32 billion in annual losses.Summary
Australians lose approximately $32 billion each year to gambling, the highest per capita globally. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently announced federal reforms aimed at curbing gambling losses, particularly among children, including bans on radio and television ads during times when children are likely to be watching, and restrictions on online and live sports advertising. While welcomed as a start, these measures are considered “watered down and weak” by many advocates, who emphasize the need for states to take further action. States manage licensing for gambling products like poker machines, which account for an estimated $13 billion in annual losses. Critics point to Tasmania’s recent decision to abandon a player card system for poker machines as a step in the wrong direction, and are calling for more comprehensive protections, especially regarding online gambling accessibility via mobile phones. A full government policy will be tabled in parliament on May 12th.
(Source：The Canberra Times)