Pressure mounts on Labor to strengthen gambling reforms
The Labor government faces increasing pressure from various political factions to implement stronger gambling advertising reforms.Summary
The Australian federal government is facing significant pressure from the Coalition, the Greens, and independent senators to strengthen proposed gambling reforms. The current legislation seeks to limit free-to-air television betting advertisements to three per hour between 6am and 8.30pm, but critics argue these measures are insufficient to prevent gambling harms and the normalization of betting.
Greens leader Larissa Waters and independent senator David Pocock have criticized the bill for being too weak, with Waters suggesting that significant donations from the gambling lobby may be influencing the legislation's scope. While the Coalition is open to collaboration, they expressed concerns regarding loopholes and inducements. Meanwhile, some Labor backbenchers, such as Alicia Payne, are advocating for even more drastic measures, including the option for citizens to opt out of seeing gambling advertisements entirely.
Despite this criticism, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles maintains that the government has struck the necessary balance, asserting that the proposed laws represent the strongest gambling reforms ever brought before the parliament.
(Source：PerthNow)