A personal plea to all Federal parliamentarians

It is wonderful that the issue of gambling reform is, at last, on the national agenda.

What is not wonderful is that so many are parroting the misinformation of the gambling industry including that an advertising ban will lead to a spike in illegal online betting.

“This is baloney,” says Stewart Kenny, co-founder of sports betting giant, Paddy Power.

Speaking on Radio National today Load of baloney': ex-Gambling boss calls for blanket ban - ABC listen he said: “I used to argue this all the time as a lobbyist ... there is nothing that backs this up”. Mr Kenny said in Spain where there was a complete gambling advertising ban, there was no spike in illegal betting.

Australia already has legislation to deal with illegal online gambling with strong monitoring and enforcement. There is no evidence that an advertising ban will increase illegal online gambling.

The gambling industry lobby claims illegal gambling hit 66 per cent in Norway. But in this country the government introduced a state monopoly on all gambling and an advertising ban. It is a totally different type of reform.

We must do more to crackdown on illegal online gambling operators. But caving in on a total gambling advertising ban will not make an iota of difference to the operations of illegal online gambling.

Mr Kenny said: “If you want to protect children, ban all gambling advertising, if you want to protect wealthy bookmakers’ profits introduce a partial gambling ad ban”.

We remain deeply concerned that the restrictions on gambling advertising being proposed will not protect children as gambling ads will still run in family viewing hours during programs like Master Chef, Gogglebox and Lego Masters.

The government does have options to support broadcasters in a transition to a ban, this could include the use of a temporary levy on the gambling industry as detailed by the Australia Institute Australia’s startling gambling losses laid bare as levy idea raised.

Please do all that you can to help achieve real and lasting reform that will protect Australians from gambling harm and shield a whole generation of young people from the gambling industry.

We must adopt all 31 recommendations of the Murphy Report into online gambling. It is too important an issue for compromise.