Tomorrow’s Melbourne Cup will spark a national surge in gambling as the Australian Government continues to delay its response to a parliamentary report, You win some, you lose more. Among other things, the cross-party report called for gambling ads to be phased out, more and better public education, and the establishment of a national online wagering regulator.
A recent Lancet Public Health Commission report, involving Monash University’s Associate Professor Charles Livingstone, also called for urgent global action on gambling harms. The report, compiled by more than 20 global experts on gambling harms, regulation, and policy, confirmed the importance of better regulation, and the prohibition of gambling promotions, particularly advertising and marketing visible to children and young people.
Available to comment:
Associate Professor Charles Livingstone, Head of the Monash University School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine’s Gambling and Social Determinants Unit.
Contact details: +61 (0) 400 395 889, or [email protected]
Read more of Associate Professor Livingstone’s commentary at Monash Lens
- Gambling policy reform
- Gambling regulation
- Politics, regulation and social impacts of electronic gambling machines (EGM)
The following can be attributed to Associate Professor Livingstone:
“The harms associated with gambling are not trivial, and are rapidly expanding as the wagering sector surges on the back of significant advertising and marketing. Between 2018-19 and 2022-23, wagering revenue grew by 54 per cent in real terms, compared to growth in gambling overall of 8 per cent, and poker machine gambling at 7 per cent.”
“We need urgent action to address this phenomenal growth in gambling losses, and associated harms. The good news is that the government has a well-crafted blueprint to act, based on the 31 unanimous recommendations of Peta Murphy’s all-party committee.
“The bad news is that the gambling industry and its allies from broadcast media, and sporting bosses, appear to have the ear of the government, and are forcing delays and the watering down of recommendations.
“If we want to avoid rapid escalation of gambling related harm, we need to act now.”
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For any other topics on which you may be seeking expert comment, contact the Monash University Media Unit on +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]
