Contrary to what Aussie lawmakers think, corporate bookmakers in Australia are changing the way they operate, and this is why trade association Responsible Australia (RWA) is relentless in the battle to reduce the gambling ads in the country.
Several weeks ago, the three-member Nick Xenophon team proposed a bill that sought to ban gambling ads to during live TV sport, among other things. That bill was rebuffed by the Senate Estimates Committee on grounds that the federal government has already introduced reforms.
The fight to curb gambling promotions, however, is not yet over.
RWA, led by former Labor minister Stephen Conroy, is lobbying the Turnbull government to reduce in-wagering advertising in the country. The group of bookmakers, which include Sportsbet and CrownBet, is seeking to improve industry standards and change the community perception about the online sector.
RWA recently rolled out a list of concessions to revive the “social license” of online gambling companies in Australia. This includes a ban on offering credit to gambling, removing the “sign-up” offers commonly used to bring in new players, and reducing advertising volume particularly during sports broadcasts.
Conroy said he is particularly focused on reducing the level of advertising from bookmakers.
“When I was the minister I was confronted by a massive community backlash against advertising, specifically live odds advertising in the middle of the commentary of the NRL,” Conroy told The Australian. “Today, that same level of angst has been building about the level of advertising and that is why our RWA members are at the forefront of saying they want the government to step in and ensure there is less advertising.”
Updating online betting regulations is one of the top policy issues for the Turnbull government, courtesy of independent Senator Nick Xenophon. The lawmaker, who built most of his political career on “tough on gambling” posturing, wanted to use the ban on betting ads as a bargaining chip in his negotiations with the Turnbull government—if only it had not met an untimely end in the Senate.
Conroy, however, is extending an olive branch to Xenophon, who he referred to as “one of the ‘cleverest’ politicians in the country.”
“I met him recently and told him he’d be surprised at how much we have in common, rather than how much we disagree,” Conroy told the Australian news outlet.
Australia’s online gambling sector will have a busy year ahead, according to Conroy, with movement on advertising soon expected, as well as discussions about a national point of consumption tax.
